First direct flight between Israel and UAE lands in Abu Dhabi

The first commercial direct flight between Israel and the UAE landed in Abu Dhabi yesterday after the two countries announced normalisation of relations. The El Al airliner made the three-hour trip carrying a top level Israeli delegation led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat while the US delegation was headed by US President Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner and US NSA Robert O’Brien. The flight was allowed to cross Saudi Arabian airspace, normally blocked to Israeli air traffic.

After disembarking from the flight, Jared Kushner said, we just completed a truly historic flight and this hopefully will be the first of many. He thanked leadership on both sides on the occasion.

The visiting delegates are scheduled to meet with representatives of UAE government agencies to discuss ways to develop relations in related fields and promote opportunities for cooperation.