As Saudi Arabia opened its airspace for the first time to commercial flights to Israel, El Al, Israel's national airline, plans to take its own fight for access to Saudi airspace to the Supreme Court, airline officials said Friday.
The historic Air India flight on Thursday ended a 70-year flyover ban for jetliners flying to or from Israel, in what many have taken to be a sign of thawing ties between Israel and Saudis. However, granting an Israeli airline access to its airspace would mark a dramatic diplomatic shift.
Saudi Arabia does not officially recognize Israel, forcing Israel's national airline to take a more circuitous path to circumvent Saudi Arabia, adding hours to flight times.
El Al has asked the International Air Transport Association, an airline industry lobby group, to help it gain access to Saudi airspace.
It has also accused its own government, which approved Air India's new route, of putting it at a disadvantage.
"Such approval, which was granted by the state of Israel, gives a significant and unfair advantage to a foreign airline, and runs contrary to any principle of reciprocity in the world of international aviation," the company said in a statement.
The court appeal is expected early next week, according to one source familiar with the matter. A spokeswoman for El Al confirmed the company intends to bring its complaint to the Supreme Court, but would not give any further details.
Tourism Minister Yariv Levin on Thursday called the maiden Air India flight a diplomatic achievement and said he has been in negotiations to open similar flights with Singapore Airlines and a carrier from the Philippines, which he did not name.
Singapore Airlines told Reuters it was not currently considering service to Israel.
A spokesperson for Philippine Airlines said the company was not in any talks to launch a route.
