Israir Airlines launches first commercial flight to the UAE via Saudi Arabia
The first commercial flight of an Israir Airlines to the UAE, through the skies of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after Riyadh retreated in its position not to allow Israeli aircraft to pass through its sky.
Israir Airlines launches its first plane to UAE
The Israel Airplane departed from Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, with an unspecified number of Israeli tourists on its way to Dubai.
The “Israel in Arabic” Twitter account, managed by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a tweet attached to a photo from inside an airplane: “Historical moments, the first commercial flight in history to Dubai,” as the flight takes two hours and fifty minutes.
Besides the Israeli companies, the UAE company “Fly Dubai” operates two flights a day between Israel and the UAE, while the UAE company Etihad Airways announced it will operate 24 flights a week, starting next March.
The Israeli company was awaiting a decision from the Saudi authorities to allow the plane to pass through its airspace, and the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that Saudi Arabia “allowed Israeli airlines to use its airspace on its way to the Emirates.”
Israir Airlines flights
Also, according to the authority, tens of thousands of Israelis are expected to arrive in Dubai next month on planes belonging to Israeli airlines, El Al, Israir, and Kneel.
The first commercial flight from Tel Aviv Airport to the UAE, scheduled for Tuesday, was about to be canceled, after announcing that Saudi Arabia did not agree to use its airspace.
In this context, “Yediot Ahronot” newspaper, citing unnamed sources, stated that Saudi Arabia had withdrawn from allowing Israeli planes to cross its airspace towards the Emirates, saying that Riyadh attributed its decision to technical reasons.
Saudi Arabia allows Israeli aircraft to cross over its airspace
As for the Israeli newspaper, “Israel Al-Youm”, it confirmed that the Saudi approval, which came about 16 hours before the start of the aforementioned flight, comes in the wake of pressures exercised by the administration of the outgoing US President Donald Trump, with an Israeli request, and the newspaper confirmed that “the Saudi approval came after direct intervention From Jared Kushner to the Kingdom. ”
Minister of Transport, Miri Regev, blessed the Saudi announcement, and the newspaper quoted the minister as saying: “I am pleased to see that after long and tense hours of waiting and receiving many inquiries from passengers and concerned airlines, the Saudis have given their approval for the first Israeli commercial flight that departs Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia’s permission for Israeli planes to cross the kingdom’s airspace comes about a week after the Israeli Army Radio spoke about a secret meeting that brought together Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the city of Neom, which was denied by Riyadh.