An Israeli airliner flying to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday with aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump will fly over Saudi Arabia, according to a source familiar with the itinerary.
Israel's flag carrier El Al will carry the delegations to Abu Dhabi for talks meant to put final touches on a pact establishing open relations between the Gulf power and Israel.
Asked if the plane would overfly Saudi Arabia in order to manage its three hour and 20 minute flight time, the source, who declined to be identified by name or nationality pending an official announcement of the route, said, “Yes.”
This would be the first publicly acknowledged entry of Saudi airspace by an official Israeli plane.
The four countries and El Al have declined to comment on the route.
The U.S.-brokered deal between the UAE and Israel has raised speculation that other U.S.-backed Gulf Arab countries might follow. A senior member of the Saudi royal family said this month that Riyadh would only normalize ties with Israel after the creation of a Palestinian state.
In 2018, Netanyahu made a surprise visit to Oman on a tight schedule that suggested his plane would have had to fly over Saudi Arabia. He and his aides refused to provide any details on that route.
