Israel welcomes Saudi Arabia move to open airspace

Israel has welcomed Saudi Arabian plans to open its airspace to Israeli planes, a major step towards normalising relations between the two countries.

Under the deal brokered by the United States, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority GAVA said it had decided “to open the Kingdom’s airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of the Authority for overflying”.

Although the statement did not mention Israel by name, it was public confirmation that Saudi Arabia would no longer refuse access to airlines based on their country of origin.

Israeli Prime Minister said it was good news after “a long road of intense and covert diplomacy”.

He said on Friday: “This decision was preceded by the signing of the ‘Jerusalem Declaration’, deepening America’s commitment to Israel’s security, the fight against the Iranian nuclear program and the advancing of normalisation initiatives of the Abraham Accords and the Negev Summit.

“I would like to thank the President of the United States, Joe Biden, for a visit that moved our entire country and for his commitment to Israel’s military and diplomatic strength. I wish him success at the Jeddah Summit.

“I thank the Saudi leadership for the opening of Saudi airspace. This is only the first step. We will continue working with necessary caution, for the sake of Israel’s economy, security and the good of our citizens.”

The announcement will dramatically reduce journey times for flights from Israel to destinations in India and the Far East.

It comes two years after the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements that saw Israel normalise its relations with several Arab countries, allowing them to exchange ambassadors and develop business ties.

Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were among the countries joining those accords.

Three months ago, Morocco’s national airline joined several others to introduce regular direct flights between the northwest African country and Israel.