On November 26, 2020, Flydubai operated the first direct flight Dubai-Tel Aviv, greeted by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Flydubai flight FZ1163 landed in Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport (TLV) at 11:38am local time, flightradar24.com data shows.
“Welcome and Shalom to the first ever Emirati tourists to Israel who have just landed at Ben-Gurion international airport,” Netanyahu’s spokesperson for the Arab media Ofir Gendelman wrote in a tweet. “These are the fruits of peace! Dear Emirati tourists, welcome to Israel!”
Gendelman announced that Prime Minister Netanyahu will be greeting the arrival of the inaugural flight after the almost four-hour flight.
Flydubai launched regular flights between Dubai International (DXB) and TLV airports. The airline will operate twice-daily routes with a total of 14 flights a week. The economy class fares will be starting from $360 and business class – from $1,600.
“Since the launch of flydubai 11 years ago, we have been committed to removing barriers to travel, creating free flows of trade and tourism and enhancing connectivity between different cultures across our network,” Ghaith Al Ghaith, the chief executive at Flydubai, wrote in a statement.
“Following the recent bilateral agreement, the start of scheduled flights will contribute to economic development and create further opportunities for investment in pursuit of our shared interests and values,” Al Ghaith added.
After the United Arab Emirates and Israel have signed an agreement to normalize relationships, their citizens are able to travel to each other’s countries without applying for a visa.
El Al Israel Airlines announced the launch of 14 weekly flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai from December 13, 2020. Arkia and Israir, have also announced plans to begin flights to Dubai in December 2020.
Etihad Airways, based in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, is planning to start flying to Tel Aviv in March 2021.