Air India Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Flight Cancellations to Israel

A district court in central Israel has approved a class-action lawsuit against Air India, alleging the airline violated aviation service laws following its cancellation of flights to and from Israel during Iran's April 2024 missile and drone attack. The lawsuit claims Air India failed to provide passengers with required assistance and did not offer alternative flights or refunds after canceling services.

Air India, India's national carrier, operates a regular route between Delhi and Tel Aviv. Following the Iranian attack on April 14, 2024, the airline canceled all flights to and from Israel, only resuming service on May 16, 2024. The plaintiffs argue that during this period, Air India neglected its legal obligations to passengers, including failing to provide essential services like food, accommodation, transportation, and phone services.

Furthermore, the suit alleges the airline did not offer timely alternative flights, even through other carriers, and wrongly cited "force majeure" to evade its responsibilities. Air India countered that as a foreign airline based in India, its decision to suspend flights was due to security concerns stemming from the "Iron Swords" war and the unprecedented nature of the Iranian attack. The airline also argued that a class-action suit is inappropriate for isolated incidents and that its obligation to provide alternative flights is limited by availability and cost.

The court, however, found sufficient preliminary evidence to suggest Air India did not fulfill its duty to provide alternative flights as required by law. The ruling highlighted that aviation law mandates airlines offer passengers a refund or an alternative flight under similar conditions at the earliest possible opportunity. The court also noted the airline's obligation to inform passengers of their legal entitlements. Regarding assistance services, the court determined there was enough evidence to proceed with the claim that Air India failed to provide necessary support to affected passengers.