Emirates Airlines, announced the landing of the first flight at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, in the state of the Israeli occupation, as part of the escalating relations between the two sides since their normalization in late 2020.
Emirates Airlines on its official page on Twitter, posted a picture of the Boeing 777 plane, with 335 passengers on board, from Dubai International Airport.
“We have officially landed at our newest destination, Tel Aviv,” read the post.
In turn, the Emirati ambassador to Israel, Muhammad Al Khaja, said in a tweet through his account on Twitter, “We are currently on board the inaugural Emirates flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.”
“I hope this new air route will open a new path of opportunities for our people and strengthen the ties between the two countries. Thank you Emirates Airlines for this step, and congratulations on this success,” Al Khaja added.
Emirates on its first-ever touchdown at Tel Aviv, Israel was welcomed by Ben Gurion Airport with a water cannon salute.
In late November, Emirates Airlines announced the postponement of the launch of its direct flights, which were scheduled for December 6, to Tel Aviv airport, until further notice, due to “recent changes in Israeli entry protocols.”
Thus, Emirates Airlines became the third Emirati company after Fly Dubai and Etihad Airways to launch direct flights between the Emirates and Israel, under the normalization agreement held under the auspices of the United States.
In May 2022, Israel signed a free trade agreement with the UAE, which aims to increase the annual bilateral trade volume to more than $10 billion.
UAE was the first Gulf country and the third Arab country to normalize relations with Israel, and the signing took place in the presence of former US President Donald Trump in September 2020.
