Saudi Arabia has granted a request by Air India to fly through Saudi airspace en route to Israel, the i24 News website reported Wednesday.
According to the report, the route will service direct flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv. This is the first time the Saudis are allowing flights to Israel to use their airspace.
The new route is expected to cut the flight time between India and Israel from nearly nine hours down to six hours, reducing the airline's fuel costs.
The report has yet to be officially confirmed by Saudi or Indian officials.
Israel and India enjoy close ties. The Israeli Tourism Ministry has reportedly offered Air India a $750,000 grant as an incentive to invest in the new route.
