Arkia Israeli Airlines (IZ, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion) announced on October 20 direct flights to Dubai International, a further sign of warming Israel-United Arab Emirates relations. The daily flights are due to launch on January 3, 2021, and will continue at least until March.
The development makes Arkia the first Israeli carrier to announce a date for the commencement of direct scheduled flights from Tel Aviv Ben Gurion to the Gulf country since the two countries signed their normalisation agreement on September 15.
“The decision to open a route to Dubai was made after increasing requests from our customers, private business customers, and many requests from groups and conference organisers. [...] The company is in continuous contact with all parties and hopes that we can even bring the line forward to mid-December this year,” Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz said in a statement posted on Arkia's website.
The announcement follows the signing of an air transport services agreement between the two states earlier this week. According to the Emirati state news agency WAM, Emirati airlines will be able to operate 28 passenger flights to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion and unlimited flights to Eilat Ramon every week, in addition to cargo flights. Charter flights are unrestricted.
The Israeli leisure carrier is now examining the possibility of launching direct routes to Sharjah near Dubai and to Bahrain International in the near future, Berlowitz added.
Arkia has signed deals with tourism companies in the UAE for it to offer holiday packages. However, commencing the Tel Aviv-Dubai route remains subject to approval by state and security authorities, “which have not yet been fully received,” it said.
On October 19, Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International) flight EY9607, operated using B787-10 A6-BMH (msn 60765), landed at Tel Aviv from Abu Dhabi International, the first commercial arrival from the UAE to Israel.
It was without passengers but later returned to Abu Dhabi carrying an Israeli delegation of travel and tourism representatives. Another aircraft, B787-9 A6-BNA (msn 39680) made a second round trip on October 21, ch-aviation analysis of Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.
The two sides have reiterated their intention to quickly open embassies in Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi and aside from the air services accord, have signed three other bilateral agreements including a visa waiver deal - Israel’s first with an Arab country. All of the agreements must, however, be ratified by both countries before coming into force.
