Air India halts Tel Aviv flights after missile scare, to remain cancelled till May 6

The attack happened less than an hour before the Air India flight AI139, operated with a Boeing 787 aircraft, was to land at Tel Aviv, the sources said.

An Air India flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi on Sunday as there was a missile attack near the airport in the Israeli city, according to sources as reported by the news agency PTI.

According to the sources, the missile attack happened less than an hour before the Air India flight AI139, operated with a Boeing 787 aircraft, was to land at Israel's Tel Aviv airport.

Air India spokesperson said, "Air India flight AI139 from Delhi to Tel Aviv of 4 May 2025 was diverted to Abu Dhabi after an incident at Ben Gurion airport this morning. The flight has landed normally in Abu Dhabi and will soon return to Delhi. Consequently, our operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended with immediate effect till 6 May 2025, to ensure the safety of our customers and staff. Our staff on ground is assisting customers and helping them with alternative arrangements."

"Customers booked on our flights with valid tickets between 4 and 6 May 2025 will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling or full refunds for cancellation. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority," the spokesperson also added.

As per information available on flight tracking website Flightradar24.com, the flight was in the Jordanian airspace when it was decided to divert the flight to Abu Dhabi.

Air India’s flight from Tel Aviv to Delhi has been cancelled for Sunday. Air traffic to the Tel Aviv airport was briefly suspended after a missile launched from Yemen landed near the Tel Aviv airport.

*With Agency Inputs