New Delhi: Air India has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, effective immediately until August 8, due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, the airline announced Friday.
The airline is closely monitoring the situation and is offering a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation fees for passengers with confirmed bookings. “In view of the ongoing situation in parts of the Middle East, we have suspended scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv with immediate effect up to and including 08 August 2024,” Air India said in a post on X.
“We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support to our passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv during this period, with a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges. Safety of our guests and crew remains our foremost priority,” it added.
The decision follows the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, where he had attended the swearing-in of Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian. Germany’s Lufthansa and its affiliate Swiss International Air Lines have also canceled all passenger and cargo flights to and from Tel Aviv until August 8. They have extended their suspension of flights to Beirut, Lebanon, until August 12.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has said its military is on ‘high alert’ and ready to handle any threat, as the country braces for a response to the assassinations this week of Hezbollah’s military chief in Beirut and Hamas’s leader in Tehran. On Wednesday, Ismail Haniyeh was killed shortly after attending the inauguration of Iran’s new president in Tehran. While Israel has not claimed responsibility, Iran has accused the US of involvement and threatened retaliation.
This assassination follows the killing of Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut just a day earlier. Shukur’s death came after a rocket attack in the Golan Heights that killed 12 people, an incident Hezbollah denied responsibility for. The situation remains tense, with both Hamas and Hezbollah promising to retaliate. “We have proven recently that the State of Israel knows how to deal with threats in defense, and to respond with a mighty attack,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a press conference.
(Source: NDTV)
