In view of the growing tensions between Israel and Iran, Air India has decided to suspend all flight operations to and fro from Israel. The announcement was made after Israel reportedly launched a retaliatory attack on Iran earlier today.
In the wake of the situation in the Middle East, including the ongoing war in Gaza, Air India has suspended all flights to Israel till April 30.
"Our flights to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended until 30th April 2024, in view of the emerging situation in the Middle East," stated the airlines on social media platform X.
"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.
On Sunday, Air India had already suspended flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv. Flights to Israel were first suspended after the outbreak of the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Along with Air India, global airlines such as Lufthansa and Etihad Airways suspended flights to Israel and Iran following Tehran's attack on Israel on Saturday. Emirates Airlines also cancelled and re-routed flights to avoid Iranian airspace.
Iran-Israel Tensions: No Immediate Plans To Retaliate, Says Tehran
As per US officials, Israel hit Iran with a missile overnight on Friday. This missile strie comes as a retaliatory strike to Iran's atack last week.
While the Israeli military is yet to comment on teh strike, Tehran has stated that it had no "plan to immediately retaliate".
Iranian officials and media confirmed that there as an attempted strike in the Isfahan region, but have significantly downplayed the reports.
