Amid rising tensions between regional powers Israel and Iran, Indian carrier Air India on Friday suspended all its flights to and from Tel Aviv till April 30, 2024 in the wake of the emerging situation in the middle-east.
"Our flights to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended until 30th April 2024, in view of the emerging situation in the Middle East. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support to our passengers who have confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv during this period, with a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority," posts Air India.
Just last Sunday, an Air India official had said direct flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv were suspended for the time being.
Notably, the Tata group-owned carrier recommenced services to the Israeli capital on March 3 after a gap of nearly five months.
Air India had first suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv, starting October 7, 2023, in the wake of the Hamas attack on the Israeli city.
Air India operates four weekly flights between the national capital and the Israeli city.
In recent days, several international passenger airlines companies suspended their flights for the same reason.
On April 15, German airline group Lufthansa also suspended flights to Amman, Beirut, Erbil and Tel Aviv at least following Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel.
UAE-based Etihad Airways joined the bandwagon, cancelling services to Tel Aviv and Amman. Emirates Airlines also cancelled some of its flights and rerouted others due to temporary airspace closures in the region from the late evening of April 13 to April 15 morning.
Source: India Today