Air India suspends Israel flights till May 31 amid war; Indians stranded

Amid the ongoing war in West Asia, Air India has suspended all its flights to Israel. An Air India official said that the flights on the New Delhi-Tel Aviv route were suspended till May 31. Over 40,000 Indians in Israel face challenges due to suspended flights, forcing many to travel via Jordan or Egypt.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv has stepped up support, maintaining constant contact with the community, opening a 24×7 emergency helpline, and launching a large-scale registration drive. Ambassador JP Singh and his team recently held a virtual meeting with Indian workers and students, listening to their concerns and assuring them of continuous assistance during the crisis and beyond.

Air India and Air India Express together are operating scheduled and non-scheduled flights, to and from the West Asia region regularly to specific destinations. Most of the leading airlines have suspended their operations on the Tel Aviv route, with only Israeli carriers like El Al, IsraAir, Arkia and Air Haifa operating under severe restrictions. The direct flight service between New Delhi and Tel Aviv was re-launched on January 1 with four weekly flights, utilising the advanced Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

However, flights have been disrupted ever since the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28.

The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region. The conflict has taken a major toll on energy supply chains, especially across the Strait of Hormuz.