Mumbai, Sep 28 (PTI) Israel Ministry of Tourism on Monday said that Air India will resume its direct flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv from December 1, 2026, restoring a key air link between India and Israel.
Air India will be the only airline operating non-stop flights between the two countries, with five weekly flights scheduled from Sunday through Thursday aboard Boeing 777 aircraft, the Israel Ministry of Tourism said in a statement.
The resumption of Air India’s flights on December 1, is expected to provide further momentum to tourism ties between India and Israel and make the destination more accessible to new segments of Indian travellers.
“The return of Air India’s direct flights is an important development for tourism between India and Israel. For Indian travellers, the restoration of a regular non-stop connection makes the journey more convenient and gives them greater flexibility when planning a visit to Israel,” Israel Ministry of Tourism, India, Consul for Tourism Affairs Galit Hoffman said.
She said India remains an important market for Israel, and direct air connectivity has a significant role to play in supporting the growth of travel between our two countries.
India was already a significant source market for Israel before the Covid-19 pandemic, with nearly 70,000 Indian visitors annually.
“We would like more Indian travellers to discover the many different sides of Israel, beyond its longstanding appeal for pilgrimage and spiritual travel… The return of the Delhi route gives us an important opportunity to build greater awareness of this diversity and encourage more Indian travellers to experience Israel in different ways,” she added.
Air India Flight AI139 will depart Delhi at 5 am and arrive in Tel Aviv at 8.30 am, with a flight time of approximately seven hours.
In the opposite direction, flight AI140 will depart Tel Aviv at 10.30 am and arrive in Delhi at 7.45 pm, with a flight time of approximately five hours and 45 minutes.
Alongside the restoration of direct connectivity, the Israel Ministry of Tourism is strengthening its presence in India through closer engagement with the travel trade, destination training, webinars, familiarisation programmes for travel agents and media, and greater promotion of Israel’s diverse tourism experiences, Hoffman added. PTI SM TRB
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