Air India has suspended all flights from Israel's Tel Aviv till May 6 after the country's main airport came under a major missile attack from Yemen's Houthi militia on Sunday.
The announcement came as an Air India flight from New Delhi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi on Sunday, in the wake of the rare missile attack that penetrated Israel's air defences.
"Consequent to developments in Tel Aviv this morning, our operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended with immediate effect till 6th May 2025, to ensure the safety of our customers and staff," the airlines said in a statement.
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, according to PTI.
"The flight has landed normally in Abu Dhabi and will soon return to Delhi," the airline informed.
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.
The airline said its operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended with immediate effect till May 6 to ensure the safety of its customers and staff.
"Our colleagues on ground are assisting customers and helping them with alternative arrangements. Customers booked on our flights with valid tickets between 4th and 6th May 2025 will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling or full refunds for cancellation," the statement read.
"We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority," the airlines added.
A ballistic missile launched by the Houthis hit the perimeter of Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday, halting flights and gouging a wide crater.
"The missile force of the Yemeni armed forces carried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion airport" with a "hypersonic ballistic missile", the Huthis said in a statement, referring to their own forces.
A video issued by Israel's police force showed officers standing on the edge of a deep crater with the control tower visible in the distance behind them. No damage was reported to airport buildings or runways.
Yemen's Houthi militia, backed by Iran, has launched several attacks targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping, demanding an end to Israel's genocidal war on Gaza that has so far killed at least 52, 500 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
The group had briefly paused the attacks after Israel agreed for a ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. But in March, they threatened to resume attacks on international shipping after Israel broke the ceasefire and imposed a blockade on Gaza, restricting humanitarian aid and deliberately starving Palestinians in the devastated territory.
(With inputs from PTI, AFP)