Air India halts Tel Aviv operations till May 6 after missile lands near airport

An Air India flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi on Sunday after a missile landed near Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, prompting a temporary suspension of air traffic, sources said. Flight AI139, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was less than an hour away from landing in Tel Aviv when the decision was made to reroute it. According to flight tracking platform Flightradar24, the aircraft was flying through Jordanian airspace at the time. The missile, reportedly launched from Yemen, landed near Tel Aviv's airport, triggering emergency protocols and a brief halt in operations.

Air India confirmed the incident in a statement, saying: “Air India flight AI139 from Delhi to Tel Aviv of 3 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."

The airline added that its ground staff is assisting affected passengers and helping them with alternate travel arrangements. Air India also announced a waiver policy for those impacted: “Customers booked on our flights with valid tickets between 3 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 said.

Meanwhile, Air India's return flight from Tel Aviv to Delhi scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled.