After a hiatus of about eight months, the Indian airline Air India will resume its direct route between Tel Aviv and Delhi. The flights are scheduled to restart on January 1, 2026, and will operate five times a week — from Sunday to Thursday — using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
According to the updated schedule, flights from Tel Aviv will depart at 11:40 a.m. and land in Delhi at 8:50 p.m., while the return flight from Delhi will leave at 7:00 a.m. and arrive in Israel at 9:55 a.m. The estimated flight time will be approximately five and a half hours.
The decision to renew the route came after a meeting between Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and India’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. During the meeting, Minister Sa’ar raised the issue of restoring Air India’s direct flights between Israel and India — and requested action to make it happen.
Just this week, we reported that Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz held an important meeting with representatives of the Indian government to promote the renewal of the air connection between the two countries and bring back direct flights.
Air India’s return to the Tel Aviv route marks significant news for the Israeli aviation market and for the many travelers who visit the Indian subcontinent each year. With the resumption of operations, the airline will once again become the only carrier operating a direct route between Israel and India — a highly sought-after path among tourists, business travelers, and backpackers alike.
Since the route was first launched in 2018, the Tel Aviv–Delhi connection has become one of the most popular in the East, saving travelers hours of connecting flights in Europe or the Middle East. The route’s renewal in January is expected to bring this beloved destination back to Israel’s network of direct flights.