Bahrain to allow flights between Israel and UAE to use its airspace

Manama, Sept. 4, (dpa/GNA) – Bahrain will allow “all flights coming to and departing” from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to cross its airspace, a move that comes weeks after the UAE and Israel announced that they would establish diplomatic ties.

Bahrain’s Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry approved the request from the General Civil Aviation Authority in the United Arab Emirates, the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported.

The announcement did not directly refer to Israel.

Bahrain, which has no official ties with Israel, is following in the footsteps of Saudi Arabia which made a similar announcement a few days ago.

Israeli airlines have previously had to avoid flying over Saudi or Bahraini airspace.

On August 13, Israel and the UAE announced a US-brokered agreement to establish diplomatic ties in return for Israel suspending a controversial plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

The deal makes the UAE the first country in the Gulf to normalize ties with Israel.

Last week, Bahrain’s King Hamad told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Manama backs a two-state solution to solve the Israel- Palestine conflict.

GNA