“The airlines had taken permission from its re/insurers to operate these two flights to Tel Aviv. The flights had normal insurance covers available to airlines on international flights ’’ said industry sources
A clutch of insurers including New India Assurance(NIA) and Tata AIG General insurance have provided the $8-10 billion cover to Air India which has been reinsured by a host of reinsurers led by AIG
Mumbai/ New Delhi:
Even as global re/insurers are now cancelling their covers for airlines flying to Tel Aviv, due to the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas last weekend, Air India had sought special permission from its re/ insurers to operate special flights to the Israel’s capital to evacuate Indian citizens.
Though, Air India had stopped flying to Tel Aviv since Oct 8, it launched ‘Operation Ajay’ on Thursday to facilitate the return of those who wish to return home as mandated by the Indian government.
“The airlines had taken permission from its re/insurers to operate these two flights to Tel Aviv. The flights had normal insurance covers available to airlines on international flights ’’ said industry sources.
A clutch of insurers including New India Assurance(NIA) and Tata AIG General insurance have provided the $8-10 billion cover to Air India which has been reinsured by a host of reinsurers led by AIG.
The second batch of 235 Indian nationals, including two infants, wishing to leave Israel were safely evacuated on Friday, a day after 212 Indians were flown out amid the country’s raging conflict with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
On Saturday, Air India has now once again extended the suspension of its scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv till October 18, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas.
The full service carrier, which normally operates five weekly scheduled flights to Tel Aviv, had earlier suspended the services till October 14.
An airline official on Saturday said the scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv have now been suspended till October 18.
The carrier will operate chartered flights to bring back Indians depending on the requirements, the official added.
Airlines wrestled with the safety risk of evacuation operations in Israel on Thursday, with Norwegian Air and Dutch KLM canceling flights while Air France had gone ahead with a special flight chartered by the French foreign ministry.
Norwegian Air said it had canceled a planned evacuation flight from Tel Aviv to Oslo due to a lack of insurance cover.
Dutch airline KLM said late on Wednesday it had retracted an offer to the Dutch government for a flight to Israel to take Dutch citizens out of the country, citing safety concerns.