By Air India has extended its Delhi-Tel Aviv flight suspension to September 30 amid continuing tensions across West Asia.
The route had earlier been suspended only through the end of July, and many travellers had anticipated a resumption around now, but the airline has now pushed the timeline back a further two months.
The suspension has been extended more than once, having first been deferred to the end of May before being moved to the end of July and now to September 30.
More than 40,000 Indian nationals in Israel continue to be affected by the halt in direct flights, according to figures cited in reports.
In the absence of direct services, travellers between India and Israel are being routed 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 whose bookings have been affected by the extended suspension.
The move follows continued coordination between international aviation bodies and India’s Ministry of External Affairs on the security situation in the region.
Israel’s El Al has operated a full schedule since Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv reopened fully in April after a ceasefire, even as Air India continues to hold off on resuming its Delhi-Tel Aviv route.
Several other major international carriers have also kept Tel Aviv services suspended or scaled back in recent months, underscoring continued industry caution around the region’s 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)
