Post PM Netanyahu’s announcement, Air India denies getting approval for flights to Israel over Saudi Arabia

Washington, March 6: After Air India inked a MoU to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia; Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Saudi Arabia has given permission to an airline flying through to Tel Aviv to use its airspace. But Air India said that it had not received approval for a direct flight to Israel over Saudi airspace today. 

But Air India Spokesperson Praveen Bhatnagar denied saying that “we have not received any confirmation. We have only submitted our request for a flight. We have yet to receive anything from authorities. We are hopeful to get approval soon,” he said.

This MoU stands as most significant as Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel and has banned any flights to the country from using its airspace for more than 70 years.

PM Netanyahu informed that Saudi Arabia has given Air India approval to fly through its airspace on flights between Israel and India.

“Air India signed an agreement today to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia,” the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a briefing at the Blair House in Washington, DC, emphasizing that the flight to and from India would take the same length of time as flights between London and Tel Aviv, some five and a half hours. Also, this move will give an impetus to the tourism in big numbers.