First 'historic' direct flight between Israel and UAE lands in Abu Dhabi

In a historic step towards peace in Middle East, first commercial direct flight between Israel and UAE landed in Abu Dhabi on Monday after both countries announced normalisation of relations.

“We just completed a truly historic flight. This hopefully will be first of many,” Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's viser and son-in-law, who is leing US delegation along with National Security viser Robert O’Brien, said after disembarking from flight.

He thanked leership on both sides on occasion. Saudi Arabia granted permission for use of its air space.

“Peace overwhelmingly desired by people, except by those who exploit misery to remain in power. Future belongs to industrious people of region,” Kushner said.

Israeli delegation is led by National Security viser Meir Ben Shabbat.

Israel and UAE announced on August 13 that y were establishing full diplomatic relations, in a US-brokered deal that required Israel to suspend its plan to annex parts of West Bank.

UAE is only third Arab country to establish diplomatic ties with Jewish state. Israel's neighbours, Egypt and Jordan, being or two Arab states to recognise Jewish state.

development is being seen as a major breakthrough because Israeli national carrier, El Al, flew over Saudi airspace, which is being interpreted by analysts as acceptance of Israel by Gulf countries in general, and a probable normalisation of ties with some of or "friendly countries" in that region.

flight that took off from Ben-Gurion airport in Israel landed in Abu Dhabi on Monday afternoon.

delegation is visiting in wake of trilateral announcement and romap towards joint cooperation between United Arab Emirates and State of Israel.

On asked about possible sale of F-35 stealth jets to UAE, Kushner said, "Prime Minister Netanyahu and president (Donald Trump) will discuss that at some point," he official WAM news agency reported.

"Anor step toward regional peace. We are all excited and look forward to more historic flights that will take us to or capital cities in region, vancing us all to a more prosperous future," Tal Becker, pilot of plane, was quoted as saying in report.

special plane, El Al 737-900, is equipped with a system to protect aircraft against aerial threats like ground-to-air missiles, report said.

Directed IR Countermeasures (DIRCM) manufactured by Elbit Systems defend aircraft by detecting, tracking and jamming incoming infrared threats like heat-seeking ground-to-air missiles and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, also known as man-portable air defense systems (MANPs), it said.

According to a report in Gulf News, US-Israeli delegation, comprised of representatives from investment, finance, health, civil space and aviation, foreign policy, diplomacy, tourism, and culture sectors and will meet representatives of UAE government agencies to discuss ways to develop relations in related fields.

Earlier in Israel before take off, Ben-Shabbat said Israel's goals for trip is to "reach a joint work plan to promote ties in a bro range of areas, including tourism, innovation, health and much more".

Israeli Airline Pilots Association released a tentative map of LY971’s route on Sunday evening, showing plane slated to cross through Saudi airspace.

Many believe that normalisation of ties with UAE could have come only with Saudi blessings but Riyh is yet to establish formal diplomatic ties with Jerusalem but is believed to covertly cooperate closely with Jewish state.

Air India has been flying over Saudi airspace since its operations started in March 2018 on Tel Aviv-Delhi route, but kingdom did not permit Israeli airlines to fly over it.

Symbolic of direct connection between Israel and UAE, flight numbers have been marked LY971 on way to Abu Dhabi and LY972 on way back to Israel, using telephone dialing code of two countries.

It has also painted a peace logo in Arabic, English and Hebrew on flight 971. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference on Sunday said breakthrough signalled end of a "Palestinian veto".

Most of Arab countries over years have linked normalisation of ties with Israel to a peace agreement and just settlement of Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian leers have condemned UAE for agreeing to normalise relations with Israel, calling move "despicable and a betrayal".

Prime Minister's Office has said that delegation aboard "historic" flight is civilian in nature and defence officials would be travelling to Gulf country a few weeks later.

two-day visit will include a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi between hes of delegations and UAE National Security visor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed.

Israeli delegation also included Cabinet Secretary Tzachi Braverman, Health Ministry Director General Chezy Levy, Science and Technology Ministry Director General Shai-Li Spiegelman, Economy and Industry Ministry Director General David Laffler among ors. 

(Image Credits:PTI)