Israel has consistently and relentlessly been on our travel list. And yet we&rsquove been pushing it aside, for no other reason really, than a lack of direct flights from India. Last year saw good news when Air India introduced flights from New Delhi to Tel Aviv, and 2019 brings even more joy. Israeli carrier Arkia is introducing non-stop flights from Tel Aviv to Goa and Kochi starting this September.

The flights will be on their recently acquired Airbus A321LR with 220 seats and a full flight service on board. The new route will ply twice a week to Kochi (Mondays and Fridays) and once a week to Goa (on Tuesdays). The flight duration will be a total of 7 hours, on which you can access the in-flight entertainment on your own device using a special app.

What about the visa, you wonder Indian citizens have to apply for a tourist visa to Israel in advance. This normally requires filling in an application form, providing supporting paperwork and documents and if required, giving a personal interview.

Although the flights only commence operations starting September 2019, there&rsquos nothing stopping you from booking tickets starting March March 24, 2019.

Price A one-way ticket price will start at $250 from Kochi and $300 from Goa. Priority seating will cost an additional $35