Air India to restore India-Israel air link

Air India will resume direct flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv from December 1, 2026, restoring a key air connection between India and Israel and making the route the only non-stop airline link between the two countries, the Israel Ministry of Tourism said on Monday.Air India will operate five weekly flights from Sunday through Thursday using Boeing 777 aircraft, according to the ministry. The return of the service is expected to support tourism ties and improve access to Israel for Indian travellers.Also read: Air India CEO-designate Gebremariam pitches cost-saving measures, employee rewards & profitability in townhall"The return of Air India's direct flights is an important development for tourism between India and Israel. For Indian travellers, the restoration of a regular non-stop connection makes the journey more convenient and gives them greater flexibility when planning a visit to Israel," Israel Ministry of Tourism, India, Consul for Tourism Affairs Galit Hoffman said.Hoffman said India remains an important market for Israel, adding that direct air connectivity plays a significant role in supporting travel between the two countries.Air India flights to operate five days a weekAir India Flight AI139 will depart Delhi at 5 am and reach Tel Aviv at 8.30 am, with a scheduled flight time of about seven hours.The return flight, AI140, will leave Tel Aviv at 10.30 am and arrive in Delhi at 7.45 pm. The flight time will be approximately five hours and 45 minutes.India was already a significant source market for Israel before the Covid-19 pandemic, with nearly 70,000 Indian visitors travelling to the country annually."We would like more Indian travellers to discover the many different sides of Israel, beyond its longstanding appeal for pilgrimage and spiritual travel... The return of the Delhi route gives us an important opportunity to build greater awareness of this diversity and encourage more Indian travellers to experience Israel in different ways," Hoffman added.Also read: Boeing’s latest 737 MAX glitch hits close to home as Indian airlines bet hundreds of planes on the jetIsrael tourism push targets wider Indian audienceAlongside the restoration of direct connectivity, the Israel Ministry of Tourism is stepping up engagement with India's travel trade through destination training, webinars and familiarisation programmes for travel agents and media.The ministry also plans to promote a wider range of tourism experiences in Israel as it seeks to attract Indian visitors beyond the country's established pilgrimage and spiritual travel segment.(With inputs from PTI)