Etihad Airways has launched its regular flight service between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv after Israel was added to Abu Dhabi’s ‘green list’, giving quarantine-free travel for visitors arriving in the emirate.
Diplomatic, trade and tourism ties between Israel and the UAE were resumed in September 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords.
The route will be operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Etihad will initially offer two weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv.
The return flight, EY599 will connect passengers from Tel Aviv into Abu Dhabi, who will no longer be required to quarantine on arrival, now that Israel has been added to the Abu Dhabi ‘green list’.
There is significant travel demand anticipated between Israel and the UAE and beyond, for both business and leisure travel purposes. This is bolstered by the fact that Israel and the UAE boast two of the highest vaccination rates in the world, giving potential for a vaccine corridor to further ease travel between the two destinations.
Etihad and the national carrier of Israel, EL AL, are continuing preparations for wide-ranging cooperation on the route, and beyond. The partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2020 covering codeshare on each other’s operations, a frequent flyer tie-up and cooperation in cargo, training and maintenance services.
Tony Douglas, CEO, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Today is a hugely significant moment in Etihad’s history, as we operate our first scheduled commercial flight into Tel Aviv. Last year, we witnessed the UAE and Israel make history when signing the Abraham Accords, and we are tremendously excited about the opportunities this poses to Etihad, and our home Abu Dhabi.
“On our inaugural flight today, we were delighted to welcome representatives from some of the UAE’s finest tourism and hospitality operators. These business leaders will not only showcase Abu Dhabi as a world-leading tourism destination, but also reinforce the emirate’s robust and united response towards wellness.”