Representative image. Photo: Photo by Eluveitie (Beata May), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Air India has delayed the resumption of its Delhi-Tel Aviv flights to September 30, citing ongoing security risks and airspace challenges across West Asia.
The route had been suspended through the end of July, with resumption widely expected around now, but the airline has now extended the suspension by a further two months.
This is at least the third time the suspension has been extended, having previously been pushed to the end of May and then to the end of July.
More than 40,000 Indian nationals in Israel remain affected by the continued suspension, according to figures cited in reports.
With direct flights unavailable, passengers travelling between India and Israel must route through hubs such as Dubai or Abu Dhabi, adding four to eight hours to travel time.
Air India said it would reassess the security situation closer to the new target date before resuming ticket sales for the route.
The airline continues to offer full refunds to passengers holding affected bookings.
The extension reflects ongoing coordination between international aviation bodies and India’s Ministry of External Affairs regarding the regional security situation.
El Al, Israel’s national carrier, has been running a full schedule since Ben Gurion Airport fully reopened in April following a ceasefire, though Air India has kept its own Delhi-Tel Aviv service on hold.
A number of other major international airlines have similarly kept their Tel Aviv routes suspended or reduced in recent months, reflecting broader industry caution around the region’s airspace despite the ceasefire.
Air India had originally suspended its Delhi-Tel Aviv route in response to escalating regional tensions, and has pushed back the resumption date multiple times since as the security situation in West Asia has failed to stabilise.
Passengers travelling between India and Israel currently have to route through third-country hubs such as Dubai or Abu Dhabi, adding several hours to journey times compared with the previous direct service.
(Image: Photo by Eluveitie (Beata May), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
