Air India offers quick trip to Tel Aviv, non-stop in just 7 hrs, even as El Al protests

The respective prime ministers of the countries, India and Israel have laid the groundwork for the historic flights over Saudi Arabian airspace to Tel Aviv. It was a major diplomatic success as it ended a long-running ban by Saudi. While the move did not go down well with the Jewish nation's own national airline El Al, which has actually sued the Israeli government, its Civil Aviation Authority; PM Netanyahu; the transportation minister, Yisrael Katz and even Air India, saying that this would cripple its operations as it granted Air India a huge advantage. 

El Al is forced to fly over the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden to avoid countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Be that as it may, Air India is going full pace to promote the route and get as many travellers from India to fly to the historic Israeli city.  Considering that not too many Indians have seen the place, this new publicity is expected to put an unexplored Israel on the map of the travellers from here. 

In an ad it unveiled recently, Air India highlighted the benefits of the trip rather than the tariffs. Air India exhorts travellers to take to the skies from Delhi and fly non-stop to Tel Aviv and reach there in just 7 hours. This direct flight over Saudi will cut the trip duration by 2 hours. Air India is operating the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route. The service first started  on 22nd March, 2018.  

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From 1st April, the flight schedule announced that Air India will be flying to Tel Aviv thrice a week - Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The return flights too are on the same day.