Without explicitly mentioning Israel, Saudi Arabia on Friday opened its airspace to "all air carriers," signaling the end of its longstanding ban on Israeli flights overflying its territory – a key step toward normalization between the two nations as US President Joe Biden visits the region.
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In a statement posted to Twitter hours before Biden is set to become the first US leader to fly directly from Israel to the kingdom, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said it was announcing "the decision to open the Kingdom's airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of the Authority for overflying."
Access to Saudi airspace is predicted to cut down both flying times to destinations in the Far East and reduce ticket prices. The shortest possible flight route would pass over Iran – which is not an option for geopolitical reasons – but Saudi airspace will allow airlines to avoid a lengthy detour they used to have to make to avoid breaching its airspace.
The announcement is an incremental step toward the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel and builds on the strong but informal ties the erstwhile foes have developed recent years over their shared concerns about Iran's growing influence in the region.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has allowed flights between Israel and Gulf states to cross through its airspace. In 2020, then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly flew to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and last week several Israeli defense reporters visited the kingdom and published news reports about their welcome.
Direct flights from Israel to Mecca are also expected to be approved, a boon for Muslim Israelis who want to make the haj pilgrimage. Currently, Muslim Israelis can visit Mecca, but must arrive by bus, via Jordan, a trip of several hours.
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