In the future, the airspace will be open to all airlines that meet the authority’s requirements for an overflight, the Gulf state aviation authority announced on Thursday. The vaguely worded statement means that all commercial connections to and from Israel are now possible and Israeli airlines are also allowed to fly through Oman’s airspace.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called this a “historic and important decision for the Israeli economy and for Israeli travelers”. Oman and Israel do not have diplomatic relations. Saudi Arabia also opened its airspace to Israel in July last year. The Kingdom issued a similar statement at the time, which also did not explicitly mention Israel.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020, brokered by the United States. However, Oman has not yet joined the so-called Abraham Accords themselves.
Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen thanked Omani sultan Haitham bin Tarik. Thanks to the opening of Saudi and Omani airspace, flight times between Israel and destinations in Asia could now be reduced by two and a half hours, Israeli media reported.
(SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
