TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said on Monday that Saudi
Arabia had granted Air
India permission to fly over its territory on its new routes to and from Tel Aviv.
There was no immediate confirmation from either Saudi officials or Air India.
Netanyahu made the announcement during a briefing in Washington to Israeli reporters after he had met US President Donald Trump.
Saudi
Arabia does not recognise
Israel and lifting the 70-year-old airspace ban would reflect what appears to be thawing ties between
Israel and the kingdom, both US allies with a shared concern over Iranian influence in the region.Last month, Air
India announced the planned thrice-weekly flights to Tel Aviv over Saudi soil, but the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Riyadh said at the time it had not granted such permission to the carrier. El Al
Israel Airlines, the country's flag carrier, flies four weekly flights to Mumbai.
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