The historic first flight, operated in partnership with the Maman Group, will depart Tel Aviv on October 19, 2020. The first commercial passenger flight to and from Israel will bring Israel’s to travel and tourism leaders to the UAE.
On Monday (October 19, 2020) Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, announced their history-making first commercial passenger flight between a GCC country to and from Israel. Today’s inaugural flight, flown in partnership with the Maman Group, will bring a group of Israel’s travel and tourism leaders to the UAE. The three-and-a-half hour journey will be operated by one of Etihad’s state-of-the art Boeing 787 Dreamliners. At the invitation of Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry, the ground-breaking flight will bring key corporate decision makers, travel agents, cargo agents and media to experience Abu Dhabi and the greater UAE.
Today’s flight is the latest development in the burgeoning relationship between the two nations following the establishment of diplomatic ties and signing of the Abraham Accords on September 15, 2020 in Washington D.C. Prior to today's historic flight, Israel's national carrier, El Al, completed a symbolic flight between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi on August 31, 2020. In Monday’s announcement on the historic flight, Etihad Aviation Group’s Chairman, His Excellency Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, said,
"Today’s flight is a historic opportunity for the development of strong partnerships here in the UAE, and in Israel, and Etihad as the national airline, is delighted to be leading the way. We are just starting to explore the long-term potential of these newly forged relationships, which will be sure to greatly benefit the economies of both nations, particularly in the areas of trade and tourism, and ultimately the people who call this diverse and wonderful region home.”
In addition to commercial guests, the new flights between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi will facilitate international trade by carrying commercial cargo to and from points across Etihad’s global network. In additional to the historic first flight, Etihad Airways has become the first non-Israeli airline in the middle east to launch a dedicated Hebrew website for the Israeli market. The website, which is also available in English, includes an Abu Dhabi destination guide along with information on the airline’s operations, product, services and network.
Source: Etihad Airways