The first-ever commercial flight from Israel to the United Arab Emirates took flight on Monday after a pact that was signed to de-escalate the tensions between the two countries. The Boeing 737 which is to be flying through the Saudi Arabian skies is the first for the Israeli airline EI AI.
Notably, several top Trump administration officials had been on board this plane that flew from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi. It is said that these officials are escorting Israeli government personnel who are to be holding talks with their Saudi counter parts as a part of the mediation plan by the White House.
Previously, in the absence of access to the Emirates’ air space, it used to take 7 hours to reach the Israeli subcontinent. This has now been reduced to 3 hours. Due to the diplomatic talks that were brokered by the United States, the two countries are now in the talks of developing diplomatic relations.
While members of the public were not able to purchase a ticket for the historic journey, it meets the Federal Aviation Administration’s criteria for a commercial flight because some of those on board will be paying for their tickets. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it the “first-ever Israeli commercial flight” to the UAE, a characterization also used by the UAE’s Foreign Ministry.