Air India will operate five flights a week on this route, using its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.
Air India on Wednesday announced that it will restart its non-stop flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv, with the first flight scheduled to take off on March 2.
Resuming flights is part of the airline’s efforts to expand its international routes and improve travel options between India and Israel, it said in a statement.
The airline will operate five flights a week on this route, using its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.
These planes offer 18 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 238 spacious seats in Economy Class. The direct service is expected to make travel between Delhi and Tel Aviv more convenient.
According to Air India, flight AI139 will depart from Delhi on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 3.55 p.m. (IST) and arrive in Tel Aviv at 7.25 p.m. (local time).
Air India’s decision to resume this route came after receiving the necessary approvals. The airline aims to strengthen its global network, particularly in the Middle East and Europe.
The return flight, AI140, will leave Tel Aviv at 9.10 p.m. and land in Delhi at 6:10 a.m. the following morning.
“Bookings for the Delhi-Tel Aviv flights are now open. Passengers can reserve their seats through Air India’s website, mobile app, or travel agents,” said the national carrier.
Air India’s decision to resume this route came after receiving the necessary approvals. The airline aims to strengthen its global network, particularly in the Middle East and Europe.
The national carrier had halted flight operations to and from Tel Aviv last year amid growing tensions in parts of the Middle East, saying they were continuously monitoring the situation.
The revival of this service is expected to boost travel between India and Israel, further enhancing diplomatic and business ties between the two nations.
Meanwhile, the Tata group-owned airline announced earlier this month that the company will offer inflight Wi-Fi Internet connectivity services on domestic flights.
Jews found safe haven in India: Israeli official
Consul General of Israel to Midwest India, Kobbi Shoshani highlighted the significance of Holocaust Remembrance Day during a ceremony at a synagogue in Mumbai and noted that Jews have lived in India for over 2,000 years without fear of discrimination.
The Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed to pay respects to the nearly 6 million Jews killed in Europe during and after the Second World War.
Speaking to ANI, he said, “It’s a very important day in Israel as it is a memorial of the holocaust. 6 million Jews, mainly in Europe were murdered by the Nazis in gas chambers, or by shooting.”
Shoshani also emphasised the strong bond between Jewish and Indian people and stated, “Jews have lived in India for more than 2,000 years without any fear of persecution or discrimination.”
“It’s the first time for a Governor to visit here at this beautiful synagogue. It symbolises the bond between Jewish people and Indian people,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) Kirti Vardhan Singh also spoke to ANI and termed the holocaust as “one of the greatest tragedies that befell humankind.” He stressed that they should not forget the holocaust and have to learn from it and evolve their policies and outlook towards humanity.
On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “The Holocaust was one of the greatest tragedies that befell on humankind. There’s an old saying that if we forget history, history is bound to repeat itself.”
“We must not forget this, one of the darkest chapters in human history, and we have to learn from it and evolve our policies, our outlook towards humanity very much in the way of the Indian sense, where in our country we welcome all faiths, all cultures, all people for ages, and that is what makes our country great. That is what makes our civilization great and this is what we must remember,” he added.
He made these remarks while speaking to reporters after attending the event on International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Delhi.
The United Nations General Assembly has designated January 27 as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
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