“Safety of our guests and crew remains our foremost priority”: Air India Suspends Flights To and From Tel Aviv amid Tensions in the Middle East

Air India on Friday suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv effective immediately, extending the suspension through August 8, 2024. The decision comes in response to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

“In view of the ongoing situation in parts of the Middle East, we have suspended the scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv with immediate effect up to and including August 8, 2024. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support to our passengers with 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,” said the airlines in a statement.

Previously, on Thursday evening, Air India had cancelled a flight scheduled from New Delhi to Tel Aviv, citing operational reasons.

Te Middle East has been experiencing severe unrest since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. This conflict has resulted in over 35,000 casualties and has affected several neighboring countries, including Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.

The situation worsened further when a bomb explosion in Tehran killed Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas. Iran has accused Israel of orchestrating the assassination, and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for a "direct" attack on Israel.​