TEL AVIV: El Al on Thursday it would operate the first cargo flight to Dubai by an Israeli carrier on 16 September.
The first flight, using a Boeing 747, would travel to Belgium and from there to Dubai, carrying agricultural and high-tech products. It will later become a weekly flight, leaving Israel every Wednesday and returning on Fridays.
El Al said the new route would be an “import and export” link to Dubai and further east.
An Israeli delegation visited Abu Dhabi on a historic trip earlier this week to finalise a pact to open up relations between Israel and the UAE. El Al flew the delegation and received permission from Saudi Arabia, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, to cross over its territory en route to Abu Dhabi.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli aircraft would be allowed to fly directly to the UAE, shortly after Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to all flights to and from the UAE.
Israeli officials have played up the economic benefits of the accord, which once formalised would include agreements on tourism, technology, energy, healthcare and security, among other areas.