Israel and the United Arab Emirates will a sign a deal on Tuesday to allow 28 weekly commercial flights between Ben Gurion airport, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the Transportation Ministry said on Sunday.
The agreement, which also allows unlimited charter flights to a smaller Ramon airport in Israel's southernmost city of Eilat and 10 weekly cargo flights, comes after Israel and UAE agreed to normalize relations.
The aviation deal will be signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion airport and flights are expected to begin within weeks, the ministry said.
"This is a historic and exciting day for Israel, which is starting to experience the economic bloom with new markets and flight destinations," Transportation Minister Miri Regev said in a statement.
Regev thanked all the officials who made the agreement possible, wishing luck to "all the Israeli flight companies that will establish new air routes to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other Gulf states down the line."
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National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat speaks upon arrival at Manama, Bahrain
(Photo: GPO)
In the meantime, an Israeli delegation, along with several U.S. officials, landed Sunday at Bahrain to formalize the normalization agreement signed last month along with the UAE.
The delegation, led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, is accompanied by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, whose office said the mission seeks "expanded economic cooperation" among Israel, Bahrain and UAE.
An official involved in the visit said Israel and Bahrain will sign a communique upgrading their relationship: from the declaration of intent delivered at a White House ceremony on Sept. 15 to a formal establishment of ties.