The flight duration from Tel Aviv to Asia will be slashed by up to two hours thanks to the Arabian Peninsula air corridor. According to Reuters, Oman has joined Saudi Arabia in allowing Israeli airlines to fly overhead. The Omani Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) acknowledged this in a statement published on Thursday, creating a new air corridor for Israel to use on commercial flights to Asia and Oceania.
According to i24NEWS, the deal appears to have been developed over a period of several months, with talks to improve diplomatic ties between Jerusalem and Muscat starting in November 2022. Over the past few years, Israel has established partnerships with some of its Middle Eastern neighbours, such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain under the Abraham Accords in 2020 and Saudi Arabia, which confirmed it will allow air travel for carriers based in Israel in July 2022.
With the declaration, Israel’s access to the Arabian Peninsula has been made official, allowing for up to a two-hour time reduction on flights to Asia and the possibility of El Al’s development into Southeast Asia and Oceania from its hub at Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV).
Although Oman’s announcement marks a move towards more intimate and friendly connections between Israel and the Arab world, formal ties between the two nations continue to be tepid.
Eli Cohen, the foreign minister of Israel, praised the Sultan of Oman for his decision and thanked President Joe Biden and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said for expediting the clearance. He also congratulated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Cohen continued.
After the development of tighter ties in 2022, Israel and Turkey reopened their air bridge earlier this month for the first time in 16 years, paving the way for the signing of a bilateral civil aviation agreement in July.
Tel Aviv has increased its connections to Middle Eastern nations as a result of better ties; carriers such as EgyptAir, Emirates, flydubai, Etihad, and Gulf Air now operate flights to Cairo (CAI), Dubai (DXB), Abu Dhabi (AUH), and Bahrain (BAH). Dubai is also served by flag carrier El Al, while during the summer, Tel Aviv-based Israir connects to Bahrain, Dubai, and the popular Egyptian tourist destination Sharm El Sheikh (SSH).
Despite opposition from pro-Palestine activists in Doha, Qatar stated during the FIFA World Cup in December that it will allow direct flights between Tel Aviv and Doha (DIA) throughout the competition. The temporary connection appeared to be beneficial for the two countries, but direct services were cut off, and Qatar has not yet repaired its relations with Israel.