Bahrain receives first direct flight from Israel – reports

The Gulf state of Bahrain has received the first known direct flight from Israel on Wednesday, September 23, media reports have indicated.

Flight data reportedly showed an Israir Airlines Airbus A320 taking off from Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport and landing at Bahrain International Airport after a nearly three-hour flight.

The Israeli government did not confirm the flight and neither did local media within Bahrain do so.

However, state news channel Bahrain News Agency did acknowledge that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa over a telephone call on Tuesday, September 22.

Readout of telephone call between HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Israelhttps://t.co/Oulha3tIEu pic.twitter.com/tN5OI5qHXj

— Bahrain News Agency (@bna_en) September 22, 2020

The UAE and Bahrain signed a historic peace agreement with Israel in Washington earlier this month. The Abraham Accords will see the two Gulf nations recognise and establish ties with Israel, in exchange for the latter suspending further annexation of Palestinian territories.

Read: UAE, Bahrain sign historic peace accord with Israel in the US

During Tuesday’s telephone calls between the leaders in Israel and Bahrain, the Crown Prince underscored the importance of securing regional and international stability and enhancing efforts to support peace in the region and reiterated that the peace treaty between Bahrain and Israel will strengthen regional security, stability and prosperity.

The two leaders also reviewed potential areas of bilateral cooperation and relevant regional and international developments.

On August 31, weeks after it was announced that the UAE and Israel had agreed to the peace initiative, the first-ever direct commercial flight from Israel to the UAE – El Al flight 971 – landed at the presidential airport in Abu Dhabi.

Read more: Watch: First direct commercial flight from Israel to the UAE lands in Abu Dhabi

Days later the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that it has obtained approvals from Saudi Arabia to use the kingdom’s airspace for flights arriving or departing the UAE from all countries.

Read also: Saudi Arabia approves use of airspace for UAE flights to and from all countries