Air India Flight Diverted to Abu Dhabi After Missile Strike Near Tel Aviv Airport

Air India Flight Diverted: An Air India flight from the national capital to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi on May 4 as there was a missile attack near the airport in the Israeli city, PTI reported.

The attack happened less than an hour before the Air India flight AI139, operated with a Boeing 787 aircraft, was to land at Tel Aviv, the report added. The flight will be coming back to Delhi.

Data from the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com indicates the diversion occurred while the aircraft was in Jordanian airspace.

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In the wake of the missile attack, Air India's return flight from Tel Aviv to Delhi, originally scheduled for Sunday, has been cancelled.

Initial reports suggest that air traffic to Tel Aviv's airport was briefly halted after a missile, reportedly launched from Yemen, landed nearby.

"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. Consequently, 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," Air India said in a statement.

Additionally, Air India has suspended all operations effective immediately until May 6 to prioritise the safety of its customers and staff, officials stated.

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A missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Israel struck near Ben Gurion Airport, the nation's primary international gateway. The attack sent a plume of smoke into the sky and caused widespread panic among passengers in the terminal.

"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. Consequently, 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," Air India said in a statement.

A senior Israeli police commander, Yair Hetzroni, showed reporters a crater caused by the impact of the missile, which airport authorities said had landed beside a road near a Terminal 3 parking lot, reported Reuters.

"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 said, adding that there was no significant damage.

Israel’s paramedic service Magen David Adom said four people were lightly wounded.

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz vowed retribution for the airport attack: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them sevenfold.”

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