New Delhi: Regular commercial flights between India and Israel resumed on Thursday after a hiatus of over two years, with Air India restarting operations on the route.
Services had been suspended in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, when Air India, like most international carriers, halted flights amid security concerns. Multiple efforts to restore services during the intervening period did not materialise.
Air India, the only Indian airline operating the sector, has deployed a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a seating capacity of 344 passengers for the route, which will now fly five times a week. The first resumed flight, AI139, departed from Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport at 7.19 am carrying 190 passengers and landed in Tel Aviv at 10.15 am local time after a journey of six hours and 25 minutes. The return leg also operated on the same day, leaving Tel Aviv at 1.14 pm local time and reaching Delhi at 9.42 pm, TNIE reported.
An Air India official said the carrier remains the sole operator connecting the two countries and noted that demand on the route is strong, driven largely by nurses, healthcare students, diplomats and business travellers, while India continues to be a favoured destination for Israeli tourists. The official added that passenger load factors in both directions are above 70 per cent.
The airline had made earlier attempts to resume the service after October 2023, but flights were repeatedly suspended due to ongoing instability in the region, with the most recent suspension occurring in May 2025, the source said.
The resumed flights will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Welcoming the development, the Indian Embassy in Israel posted on X: “Direct connectivity is back! Air India resumes non-stop flights between Tel Aviv and New Delhi today. The Embassy of India wishes Air India great success and encourages Indian and Israeli travellers to take advantage of this direct air link between India and Israel.”