New Delhi: Air India on Tuesday announced the extension of suspension on all flights to and from Tel Aviv till June 19, 2025.
In a post on X, the airline said, “Our flights to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended till 19th June 2025. Customers holding valid tickets for travel till 19th June will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling charges or a full refund for cancellations.”
This came following the May 4 strike, when Israeli air defenses failed to intercept an incoming Houthi ballistic missile from Yemen that impacted near an access road several hundred yards from the control tower at the main Terminal 3, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Since then, the majority of foreign airlines have been extending the cancellation of flights to and from the country, from a few days to a couple of weeks, leaving many Israelis stranded overseas. Among the very few foreign airlines that have recently resumed non-stop flight services to Israel are US carrier Delta, Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air, and Greece’s Aegean Airlines, The Times of Israel reported.
Hamas launched a massive terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and holding over 250 hostages, out of which over 100 are still in captivity.
In response, Israel launched a strong counteroffensive targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli operation, however, has been criticised for civilian casualties. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli operation, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Air India had earlier announced that its flights to Tel Aviv would remain suspended till May 25.