Air India Flight to Israel Diverted After Missile Strike Near Airport; Services Suspended Until May 6
An Air India flight en route from Delhi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi on Sunday, May 4, following a missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, just under an hour before the aircraft was scheduled to land, according to a report by PTI.
Flight AI139 was in Jordanian airspace when it was rerouted, as per tracking data from Flightradar24.com. Air India confirmed that the aircraft landed safely in Abu Dhabi and would return to Delhi shortly.
“Air India flight AI139 from Delhi to Tel Aviv of 4 May 2025 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,” a spokesperson for the airline said.
In light of the security situation, Air India announced the temporary suspension of its Tel Aviv services until May 6. “Our operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended with immediate effect till 6 May 2025, to ensure the safety of our customers and staff,” the spokesperson added. Passengers with bookings between May 3 and May 6 are eligible for a one-time rescheduling waiver or full refunds.
Missile Strike Near Tel Aviv Airport
Israeli police stated that air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport was briefly halted after a missile, reportedly launched from Yemen, landed near the facility. Activity at the airport resumed after security personnel completed a thorough inspection, the Associated Press reported.
A missile impact crater was found near a road close to Terminal 3’s parking area, as confirmed by senior Israeli police commander Yair Hetzroni. “You can see the scene right behind us here, a hole that opened up with a diametre of tens of metres and also tens of metres deep,” Hetzroni told reporters. Fortunately, no major damage occurred.
According to Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom, four individuals sustained minor injuries. The Houthi rebels, who have been targeting Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza, claimed responsibility for the strike in a video statement, saying they fired a hypersonic ballistic missile at the airport, AP reported.
In response, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed retaliation: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them sevenfold.”