Abu Dhabi’s Etihad to start daily flights to Tel Aviv from March

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways will start daily flights to Tel Aviv in the first quarter as ties between the United Arab Emirates and Israel strengthen following a diplomatic breakthrough in August.

The new service from March 28 will offer “point-to-point business and leisure travelers between the UAE and Israel,” the state-owed carrier said. The departures will be timed to connect passengers via Abu Dhabi to destinations including those in China, India, Thailand and Australia.

The opening of air travel between the two countries will give the UAE’s carriers an opportunity to transfer Israeli passengers through their major hubs, connecting to destinations further east and west. FlyDubai will start scheduled flights to Tel Aviv on Nov. 26.