Air India suspends Tel Aviv flights citing 'current situation in parts of Middle East'

Private sector airline Air India on Friday suspended its flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel with immediate effect until further notice. The airline - owned by the Tata group - cited "the current situation in parts of the Middle East" as the reason behind its move. 

"In view of the current situation in parts of the Middle East, scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv are suspended with immediate effect until further notice," Air India said on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter).

The airline said it is continuously monitoring the situation, offering a full refund to the passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv.

"Safety of our guests and crew remains our topmost priority," the Tata group airline added. 

#ImportantAnnouncement

In view of the current situation in parts of the Middle East, scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv are suspended with immediate effect until further notice. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are offering a full refund to…

— Air India (@airindia) August 9, 2024

The airline also shared details of helpline numbers for providing assistance to the impacted customers. "For more information, please call our 24/7 Contact Centre at 011-69329333 / 011-69329999," Air India said. 

The news comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran.