Saudi gives Air India overflight rights for its Israel routes: Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said recently that Saudi Arabia had granted Air India permission to fly over its territory on its new routes to and from Tel Aviv. There was no immediate confirmation from either Saudi officials or Air India. Netanyahu made the announcement during a briefing in Washington to Israeli reporters after he had met U.S. President Donald Trump.
Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel and lifting the 70-year-old airspace ban would reflect what appears to be thawing ties between Israel and the kingdom, both U.S. allies with a shared concern over Iranian influence in the region. Last month, Air India announced the planned thrice-weekly flights to Tel Aviv over Saudi soil, but the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Riyadh said at the time it had not granted such permission to the carrier.
El Al Israel Airlines, the country’s flag carrier, flies four weekly flights to Mumbai. These take seven hours as they fly south toward Ethiopia and then east to India, avoiding Saudi airspace. Israel media have said that Saudi overflight routes could reduce travel time by more than two hours.
News Source: https://www.reuters.com/
You might also like
49% FDI in aviation: The political privatisation of Air India is underway
The incremental approach towards the divestment is obviously aimed at ensuring that non-controlling partial ownership doesn’t fall into ‘undesirable’ hands. The government has taken one more small step in coming
Centre working on new turnaround plan for Air India
The government will also let all airlines raise external commercial borrowing for working capital purposes, says civil aviation secretary R.N. Choubey. The government is working on a new turnaround plan
BastIons of Bintan’s Beauty
A little strip of paradise nestled in the South China Sea that often skips the radar of holiday-goers in Asia is the island of Bintan. Those who have been, often
