Missile strike in Israel: Air India suspends Tel Aviv flights till May 6
On Sunday, an Air India flight from New Delhi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi after a missile attack near the airport
Air India on Sunday (May 4) said it has suspended flights to and from Israel’s capital Tel Aviv after a missile launched by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen briefly halted flights and commuter traffic at Ben Gurion airport.
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On Sunday, an Air India flight from New Delhi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi after a missile attack near the airport.
What Air India said
“Air India flight AI139 from Delhi to Tel Aviv of 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. 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,” Air India said in a statement.
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Passengers having valid tickets for Air India's Tel Aviv flights between May 4 and 6 will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling or full refunds for cancellation, the airline said. “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.”
Air raid sirens
Meanwhile, according to an Associated Press (AP) report, the attack on Ben-Gurion International Airport came hours before top Israeli Cabinet ministers were set to vote on whether to intensify the country's military operations in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthi rebels have been striking Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians. The army meanwhile, began calling up thousands of reserves in anticipation of a wider operation in Gaza, officials said.
The missile launch on Sunday set off air raid sirens in multiple parts of Israel. A plume of smoke was visible at the airport, according to footage shared by Israeli media. Passengers were heard yelling and scrambling for cover.
It was not immediately clear whether the projectile, which landed in a field near an access road leading to airport parking lots, was the missile or its fragments, or an interceptor from Israel's air defence systems. It left a deep crater in the ground and a nearby road was littered with dirt.
Israel vows to respond to the airport attack Police said that air, road and rail traffic were halted following the attack. The traffic resumed after about an hour, Israel Airports Authority said. Israel's paramedic service Magen David Adom said four people were lightly wounded.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a video statement that the group fired a hypersonic ballistic missile at the airport.
Houthi rebels have been firing at Israel since the war with Gaza erupted on October 7, 2023, and the missiles have mostly been intercepted, although some have penetrated Israel's missile defence systems, causing damage.
Israel has struck back against the rebels in Yemen, and the US, Israel's top ally, also launched a campaign of strikes in March against them.
(With agency inputs)