Etihad landed commercially in Tel Aviv for the first time
Gulf carrier Etihad Airways ushered in a new era on Monday under flight number EY9607: For the first time, a commercial passenger flight from Abu Dhabi landed at Tel Aviv Airport. This was made possible by an agreement concluded between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. For decades, Abu Dhabi did not recognize the State of Israel. That changed this year, official diplomatic relations were established and an air traffic agreement was signed shortly afterwards. This enables airlines from both countries not only to fly over each other's country, but also to establish non-stop flights that did not previously exist. 28 weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi and Dubai were agreed. These are to be offered by airlines from both Israel and the UAE. Ten weekly cargo connections were also agreed. Eilat Airport in southern Israel is open without restrictions between the two countries, but initially only for charter flights. The thaw between Israel and Arab countries has already found imitators in a positive sense, as an air traffic agreement was also concluded with Jordan, allowing airlines from both countries to fly over the country. Bahrain and Israel also established official diplomatic relations.