Amid the ongoing war in West Asia, Air India has suspended its flights to Israel until May 31.
An Air India executive confirmed to PTI that the airline has suspended flights on the New Delhi-Tel Aviv route until May 31.
Most leading airlines suspended operations on the Tel Aviv route, and only Israeli airlines such as El Al, Isra Air, Arkia and Air Haifa operated under severe restrictions.
The suspension of flights has raised great concerns among more than 40,000 Indians who live in Israel and wish to travel to India for personal or professional reasons, or even to escape the escalating tensions in the region.
Indians looking to leave Israel must pass through Jordan or Egypt by entering the two countries via land crossings.
The Indian mission in Tel Aviv assists those wishing to travel through various means.
The embassy also maintained regular communications with the community during this period, opening a 24/7 emergency line and also launching a massive registration campaign.
On Saturday, Ambassador JP Singh and the embassy team held a virtual discussion with Indian workers and students across Israel to listen to their concerns, and assured them of “continued support during the ongoing crisis and beyond,” the mission said on its social media account.
The direct flight service between New Delhi and Tel Aviv was relaunched on January 1 with four weekly flights, using the advanced Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
However, flights have been disrupted since the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28.
The Islamic Republic’s retaliation expanded the scope of the war to include the entire Gulf region. The conflict has taken a heavy toll on energy supply chains, especially across the Strait of Hormuz.
