Oman opens airspace to Israeli flights, following Saudi Arabia
Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has thanked the Sultan of Oman and the Biden administration for an airspace agreement that will shorten Israeli flight times to Asia considerably.
Oman announced on Thursday that it will open its airspace to all carriers — including Israel's — that meet the safety requirements of its civil aviation authority.
The Omani announcement did not refer to Israel specifically, but the news means that Israeli aircrafts will be authorized to fly through its skies. Last July, Saudi Arabia made a similar announcement, authorizing all carriers to pass through its airspace. Similarly, the Saudi announcement did not mention Israel, but the decision clearly enabled Israeli flights to pass through its skies.
Hailing the Omani announcement, Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said that the "historic decision will shorten the road to Asia, lower costs for Israeli citizens and help Israeli airlines to be more competitive. I thank the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said and our American friends for their substantial help in the success of the move."
Israel’s Foreign Ministry noted that the historic decision came after several months of talks with Omani authorities. It commented, "The approval given today joins the approval of Saudi Arabia and will enable the shortening of flights from Israel to destinations in Asia by more than two hours."
