Air India has announced the resumption of direct flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv, set to begin on December 1, 2026, after an extended hiatus. The airline will introduce five weekly departures, running from Sunday through Thursday, using Boeing 777 aircraft. This makes Air India the only carrier offering non-stop service between the two cities, a move intended to strengthen tourism and business travel while improving accessibility for Indian visitors.
The inaugural flight, designated AI139, will depart Delhi at 5:00 AM and arrive in Tel Aviv at 8:30 AM, completing the journey in roughly seven hours. The return flight, AI140, will leave Tel Aviv at 10:30 AM and land back in Delhi at 7:45 PM, covering the route in about five hours and 45 minutes. These schedules align with peak periods for both business and leisure travel.
Before the pandemic, Israel saw nearly 70,000 Indian tourists visit annually. The flight resumption coincides with broader efforts by the Israel Ministry of Tourism to broaden its appeal beyond religious pilgrimage. The ministry now emphasizes leisure travel, family tourism, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions), luxury experiences, and adventure tourism to attract a wider segment of Indian travelers.
Galit Hoffman, Israel’s consul for tourism affairs in India, described the restart as a critical development for bilateral tourism. “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,” she said. The route will also help Israel showcase its diverse attractions, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv’s beaches, the Dead Sea, Galilee, and Eilat on the Red Sea, moving beyond traditional spiritual tourism narratives.
The ministry is supporting the flight resumption with expanded outreach to Indian travel agents. Through training programs, digital workshops, and familiarization trips, officials aim to strengthen industry partnerships and promote Israel’s expanded tourism offerings among Indian travelers.
This restoration aligns with broader efforts to recover pre-pandemic travel volumes, as India had been one of Israel’s top source markets before 2020. The suspension of direct flights had disrupted connectivity, and the new schedule now provides a stable link to support tourism growth and the wider travel trade.