Air India pushes back Tel Aviv flight resumption to September

Air India has pushed back the resumption of its Delhi-Tel Aviv flights to September 30, citing ongoing security risks and airspace challenges across West Asia.

The route was suspended only through the end of July, and many passengers had expected services to resume around now, but the airline has extended the suspension by two further months.

The suspension has now been extended multiple times, having first been pushed to the end of May before being moved to the end of July.

More than 40,000 Indian nationals in Israel continue to be affected by the ongoing suspension, according to figures cited in reports.

In the absence of direct flights, passengers travelling between India and Israel must route through hubs such as Dubai or Abu Dhabi, adding four to eight hours to journey times.

Air India said it would reassess the airspace security situation closer to the new target date before resuming ticket sales.

The airline is offering full refunds to passengers with bookings affected by the extended suspension.

The extension follows continued coordination between international aviation bodies and India’s Ministry of External Affairs on the regional security situation.

Israel’s El Al has resumed a full flight schedule since Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv reopened fully in April after a ceasefire, even as Air India keeps its Delhi-Tel Aviv route on hold.

Several other major international carriers have also kept their Tel Aviv services suspended or scaled back in recent months, reflecting continued industry caution around the airspace despite the ceasefire.

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.

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.

(Image: Photo by Eluveitie (Beata May), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)