Indian flag carrier Air India has extended its suspension of its flights to Israel for a third time, due to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The airline used to fly from Delhi to the Israeli capital Tel Aviv three times a week, but along with the majority of global airlines, it cancelled the service following the Hamas attack on 7 October and subsequent Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
The Boeing 787 flights will not operate until at least 15 May, according to a company statement shared on social media – which did not mention the conflict by name.
“In view of the ongoing situation in parts of the Middle East, we have extended the temporary suspension of our flights to and from Tel Aviv to 15 May 2024.
“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. Safety of our guests and crew remains our foremost priority,” it said.
The airline had first paused the service immediately after 7 October, but in March took the decision to restart the direct flights.
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But it restarted Tel Aviv flights on 3 March, despite ongoing violence and no change in the travel advice from India’s embassy in Israel.
That resumption did not last, however, with a further suspension declared on 19 April.
“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,” the carrier explained.
Air India recently offloaded four of its ageing Boeing 747’s, which were grounded in 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic and never returned to service.
