Etihad Airways operated the first commercial flight between the United Arab Emirates and Israel (historic moment)

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is the first carrier in the Gulf to operate a commercial passenger flight to and from Israel. Today, October 19, the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner (A6-BMH) landed in Tel Aviv. The flight time between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv is 3.5 hours.

Flight EY9607 landed at Ben Gurion International Airport at around 07:00. The return flight, scheduled on the Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi route, took off at 10:00. The next Abu Dhabi - Tel Aviv flight will be operated on October 21.

This is the latest evolution of cooperation between the two nations, after the establishment of diplomatic ties and the signing of the Abraham Accords between the UAE and Israel, in Washington DC, on September 15.

It is also the first symbolic commercial flight of the Israeli national airline EL AL, which will be operated between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi. The flight opening agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel allows 28 passenger flights per week, as well as 10 cargo flights.