Flydubai Launches First Scheduled Dubai-Tel Aviv Flight

Budget airline Flydubai on Thursday began direct flights to Tel Aviv, the first scheduled service between the commercial hubs of the United Arab Emirates and Israel following the normalization of ties between the two countries. Flight FZ 1163 took off from Dubai International Airport at 9:40 am Gulf Standard Time and is scheduled to land at Ben-Gurion International Airport at 11:35 am Israel Standard Time. The 3-hour, 55-minute journey will take the plane over Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the West Bank on its way to Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will greet the flight on its arrival. “PM Netanyahu will attend this morning the welcoming ceremony for the first @flydubai commercial flight that will arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport,” spokesman Ofir Gendelman said in a tweet. “These are the fruits of peace Dear Emirati tourists, welcome to Israel!”