Israir Aviation Seeks Govt Nod To Launch Direct Tel Aviv-India Services
Subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, the airline said it may commence operations as early as April next year.
Israeli carrier Israir Aviation and Tourism has sought approval from the Indian government to enter the domestic aviation market with direct flights to Delhi and Mumbai from Tel Aviv, the airline said on Wednesday.
Subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, the airline said it may commence operations as early as April next year.
One of Israel's leading airlines, Israir, operates scheduled and charter services across Europe, the Mediterranean, and regional markets.
As part of its long-haul expansion, the airline has sought designation to operate services on six key routes — Tokyo, Hanoi, Delhi, Mumbai, Phuket, and Bangkok markets that continue to record strong travel demand, it said in a statement.
"A formal designation request has been submitted to the Indian civil aviation authorities, seeking (its) approval to operate these (Delhi and Mumbai) routes, Israir said.
"Subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, Israir has indicated its intention to commence operations as early as Passover in April 2026."
The proposed services, alongside the restoration of existing routes and rising airline interest, are expected to play a key role in rebuilding capacity, improving accessibility, and deepening aviation and tourism ties between India and Israel in the coming years, it said.
"We have been actively working to restore air connectivity and strengthen strategic airline partnerships, and this development provides a timely boost to those efforts. It reinforces our long-term growth outlook for inbound tourism from India and India-Israel air travel," said Galit Hoffman, Consul Tourism Affairs for India, Israel Ministry of Tourism.
For India-Israel air services, it reflects growing confidence in sustained bilateral travel demand and the long-term growth potential of the corridor, the airline said, adding that Israir's proposed entry would further strengthen direct air connectivity between the two countries, complementing the planned resumption of nonstop Delhi-Tel Aviv services by Air India from January 2026.
The development also comes amid wider interest from Israeli carriers in India, as another Israeli carrier, Arkia Airlines, has previously expressed intent to explore direct services from Israel to destinations, including Goa, Kochi, and Mumbai, it noted.
The timing of the move aligns with Israel's gradual tourism recovery. In November this year, the country recorded 1,22,500 international tourist arrivals, reflecting a marked improvement despite border conflict and pandemic-affected periods in recent years, the airline said.
Cumulatively, 1.18 million tourist arrivals were recorded between January and November 2025, with total arrivals for the full year forecast at approximately 1.3 million, it said.
It also said that tourism from India continues to show strong upward momentum, with India firmly positioned among Israel's top ten global source markets and ranking as its leading market from Asia.
