Air India suspends flights to Tel Aviv till May 6 following Houthis missile strike
A Tel Aviv bound flight travelling from Delhi was diverted to Abu Dhabi on Sunday after a missile strike occurred near the Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's primary international gateway, the airline said.
Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched missile towards Israel which got struck near the airport sending a plume of smoke into the sky and causing widespread panic among passengers in the terminal.
"Air India flight AI139 from Delhi to Tel Aviv on 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," Airlines said in a statement.
"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 statement further read.
Air traffic to Tel Aviv was was halted for a short period of time as four people are believed to be injured in missile attack . In a statement after the strike, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said, "Whoever harms us will be harmed sevenfold."
Israeli sources confirm the failure of both Iron Dome and U.S. THAAD against the Yemeni missile.
Israel and the U.S. had heavily promoted THAAD’s deployment as a "game-changer". pic.twitter.com/lt1XQNP4V4 — Iran Military (@IRIran_Military) May 4, 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold an emergency meeting with the security staff to discuss a response.
- With inputs from agencies
