JERUSALEM, Nov 26 (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates airline flydubai began direct passenger flights
JERUSALEM, Nov 26 (Reuters) – United Arab Emirates airline flydubai began direct passenger flights to Israel on Thursday after the 2 nations normalised ties in a Washington-brokered deal.
Israel and the UAE agreed in August to determine diplomatic relations, paving the way in which for financial cooperation. Bahrain and Sudan have additionally agreed to forge formal ties with Israel in offers brokered by the Trump administration and promoted as a strategic Center East shift that isolates Iran.
Dubai state-owned flydubai will function twice-daily fights between the UAE’s and Israel’s monetary capitals – Dubai and Tel Aviv – the airline mentioned this month.
Dubai’s Emirates, the UAE’s largest airline, will promote tickets on the flydubai service by way of a codeshare settlement between the carriers, an Emirates spokeswoman mentioned.
The detente comes at a time when the aviation business is in disaster as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. Israel, whose borders have been largely been closed to overseas nationals because the pandemic outbreak, has seen its tourism take a pointy dive.
UAE and Israeli residents at the moment are in a position to go to every others’ nation with out making use of for a visa earlier than travelling.
“This opens up commerce, financial system, tourism and makes for a very new Center East, it’s a assembly of two peoples,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned at a welcoming ceremony for the flight at Ben Gurion Airport.
El Al Israel Airways ELAL.TA mentioned on Monday it might function 14 weekly flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai from Dec. 13. Smaller rivals Arkia and Israir have mentioned they plan to start flights to Dubai subsequent month.
El Al and the UAE’s Etihad Airways signed a deal final week to discover deeper cooperation comparable to joint codesharing between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv and different locations.
Etihad has mentioned it intends to start out every day flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv on March 28 subsequent yr.
(Reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem and Alexander Cornwell in Dubai; Enhancing by Pravin Char)
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