New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS): Air India on Wednesday announced that it will restart its non-stop flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv, with the first flight scheduled to take off on March 2.

Resuming flights is part of the airline’s efforts to expand its international routes and improve travel options between India and Israel, it said in a statement.

The airline will operate five flights a week on this route, using its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

These planes offer 18 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 238 spacious seats in Economy Class. The direct service is expected to make travel between Delhi and Tel Aviv more convenient.

According to Air India, flight AI139 will depart from Delhi on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 3.55 p.m. (IST) and arrive in Tel Aviv at 7.25 p.m. (local time).

The return flight, AI140, will leave Tel Aviv at 9.10 p.m. and land in Delhi at 6:10 a.m. the following morning.

“Bookings for the Delhi-Tel Aviv flights are now open. Passengers can reserve their seats through Air India’s website, mobile app, or travel agents,” said the national carrier.

Air India’s decision to resume this route came after receiving the necessary approvals. The airline aims to strengthen its global network, particularly in the Middle East and Europe.

The national carrier had halted flight operations to and from Tel Aviv last year amid growing tensions in parts of the Middle East, saying they were continuously monitoring the situation.

The revival of this service is expected to boost travel between India and Israel, further enhancing diplomatic and business ties between the two nations.

Meanwhile, the Tata group-owned airline announced earlier this month that the company will offer inflight Wi-Fi Internet connectivity services on domestic flights.