Air India Flight Diverted Mid-Air After Houthi Missile Strike Near Tel Aviv Airport

An Air India flight en route from Delhi to Tel Aviv was forced to divert to Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning after a missile landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, prompting emergency flight diversions and a temporary closure of air traffic into the country’s main aviation hub.

Flight AI139 was nearing the end of its journey when the situation escalated. The aircraft was over Jordanian airspace when the decision was taken to alter its course. Within minutes, the twin-aisle widebody redirected south-west towards Abu Dhabi, where it landed without incident.

According to Air India, the precautionary measure was taken after what the airline described as "an incident at Ben Gurion Airport." The flight has since remained grounded in Abu Dhabi, and the return leg to Delhi has been arranged.

In a statement issued later in the day, Air India confirmed the temporary suspension of all operations on the Tel Aviv route through 6 May 2025. “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. Our staff on the ground is assisting customers and helping them with alternative arrangements,” said an airline spokesperson.

Passengers booked between 3 and 6 May will be entitled to a one-time waiver for rescheduling or a full refund if they choose to cancel. “We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority,” the airline stated.

Earlier in the day, Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport briefly shut down all incoming and outgoing traffic after a missile launched from Yemen by Houthi militants struck near the airport’s perimeter. Smoke was seen rising from the impact site close to Terminal 3’s car park. According to Israeli security officials on the ground, the missile did not hit the runway or terminal buildings, but landed adjacent to a service road, creating a crater several metres wide and deep.

Yair Hetzroni, a senior police commander at the site, pointed to the crater and 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.” He added that while the explosion caused considerable alarm, it did not result in structural damage to the airport complex.

Israel’s emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, confirmed that four individuals sustained minor injuries during the episode, primarily due to the panic that ensued as passengers scrambled for cover.

The missile strike was claimed by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who released a video statement asserting they had launched a hypersonic ballistic missile targeting the airport, continuing their campaign of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza. This represents a significant escalation in the group’s strike capabilities and reach, raising fresh concerns over regional air safety.

Commercial air traffic at Ben Gurion resumed later in the day following security sweeps and confirmation from Israeli authorities that no secondary threats were present.

This incident marks the most serious disruption to civilian aviation in Israel since the current conflict began, and underscores the growing risks to international flight operations in the region as tensions intensify.

Air India Flight Diverted After Missile Strike

Missile lands near Tel Aviv airport; Air India Delhi flight rerouted safely to Abu Dhabi

May 4, 2025 | 22:45 IST

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