Netanyahu thanks Saudi Arabia for allowing plane with Israelis to land on Kingdom’s soil
'I greatly appreciate the warm attitude of the Saudi authorities to the Israeli passengers whose flight was in distress and was compelled to make an emergency landing in Jeddah,' Netanyahu said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Saudi Arabia for allowing a plane with Israeli passengers to land on the Kingdom’s soil.
Air Seychelles jet with 128 Israeli passengers and an unknown number of foreigns onboard was forced to land in Jeddah on Monday due to a technical malfunction.
The passengers stayed in a hotel overnight and were picked up by another Air Seychelles jet on Tuesday, flying directly to Tel Aviv.
“I greatly appreciate the warm attitude of the Saudi authorities to the Israeli passengers whose flight was in distress and was compelled to make an emergency landing in Jeddah. I am pleased that they are all coming home. I greatly appreciate the good neighbourliness,” Netanyahu said.
Last year, Saudi Arabia allowed flights to Israel to fly over its skies, but direct flights between the two countries are still not available.
Tuesday’s flight from Jeddah to Tel Aviv therefore appears to be the first ever, at least officially.
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