MUMBAI: More and more players are taking to the skies as the domestic aviation business is hotting up even as efforts are underway to break the duopoly of IndiGo and Air India following the recent episode of flight cancellations and obnoxious prices that made flying plans of several people go awry.

Israeli carrier Israir Aviation and Tourism is the latest to join the queue of entrants as it sought Centre’s approval on Wednesday to offer direct flights to Delhi and Mumbai from Tel Aviv.

Subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, the airline said it may commence operations as early as April next year. One of Israel’s leading airlines, Israir, operates scheduled and charter services across Europe, the Mediterranean, and regional markets.

As part of its long-haul expansion, the airline has sought designation to operate services on six key routes - Tokyo, Hanoi, Delhi, Mumbai, Phuket, and Bangkok markets that continue to record strong travel demand, it said in a statement.