An Air India flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi on Sunday, following a missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. The incident occurred less than an hour before the scheduled landing of Air India flight AI139, according to reports.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24.com showed that the aircraft was flying through Jordanian airspace when it was rerouted to the UAE capital. The airline confirmed that the flight landed safely in Abu Dhabi and would return to Delhi shortly.
“Air India flight AI139 from Delhi to Tel Aviv of 4 May was diverted to Abu Dhabi after an incident at Ben Gurion airport this morning. The flight has landed normally in Abu Dhabi and will soon return to Delhi,” an Air India spokesperson stated. In light of the security situation, Air India also announced the temporary suspension of its operations to and from Tel Aviv until May 6.
“Consequently, our operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended with immediate effect till 6 May, to ensure the safety of our customers and staff. Our staff on the ground is assisting customers and helping them with alternative arrangements,” the spokesperson said.
The airline has also offered flexibility to affected passengers. “Customers booked on our flights with valid tickets between 3 and 6 May will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling or full refunds for cancellation. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority,” the airline added.
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Missile Strike Near Ben Gurion Airport
Earlier in the day, Israeli police confirmed that air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv was temporarily halted after a missile was fired from Yemen. Authorities reported that a plume of smoke was seen rising near the airport following the attack. Passengers were reportedly heard screaming and rushing for cover.
A crater caused by the missile impact was located beside a road near a Terminal 3 parking lot. Senior Israeli police officer Yair Hetzroni, who was at the scene, said, “You can see the scene right behind us here, a hole that opened up with a diameter of tens of metres and also tens of metres deep.” Despite the explosion, no major infrastructure damage was reported.
Israel’s emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, said that four people sustained minor injuries in the incident.
The Houthi rebels, who have been launching attacks against Israel in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, claimed responsibility for the strike. In a video statement, the group said it had launched a hypersonic ballistic missile at the airport, according to the Associated Press.
Responding to the attack, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a warning: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them sevenfold.”
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