Air India said that the step has been taken in the best interest of the passengers and the crew.
New Delhi: The political and military situation in the middle east is not only unstable but also dangerous due to the ongoing armed clashes between Israel, Gaza-based Hamas, Lebanon-based Hezbollah, and Yemen-based Houthis.
The current situation is very tense because of the alleged assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran, Iran on 31 July, 2024. The killing of Haniyeh has been said blamed on Israel. Under the circumstances, there is a very real chance of a full-blown war breaking out between Iran and Israel.
Under these conditions, Air India, the flag carrier airline of India, has announced suspension of all flight to and from Israeli capital Tel Aviv with immediate effect until further notice. The decision was announced on Friday, 09 August 2024.
The airlines said that it is continuously monitoring the situation and offering a full refund to the passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv.
Air India said that the step has been taken in the best interest of the passengers and the crew. The airlines has shared 24/7 helpline for more specific information.
Air India posted on X: “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 our passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv. Safety of our guests and crew remains our topmost priority. For more information, please call our 24/7 Contact Centre at 011-69329333 / 011-69329999.”
On 1 April, Israel bombed an Iranian consulate complex in Damascus, Syria, killing multiple senior Iranian officials. In response, Iran seized the Israeli-linked ship MSC Aries followed by strikes inside Israel on 13 April.
At that time, things did not aggravate, but his time, it is a completely different scenario as Ismail Haniyeh was killed on Iranian soil, in Tehran.
Iran has vowed to avenge the attack.