Israeli, UAE airlines announce cooperation deal

The UAE and Israeli flag-carriers announce a codeshare cooperation deal, the latest sign of deepening ties between the two nations following September’s normalization of diplomatic relations.

The move follows Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s visit to the UAE this week to inaugurate the country’s first Gulf embassy in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi.

The airlines say in a statement they “launched their joint codeshare network and reciprocal loyalty agreement for frequent flyers.”

“This builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the airlines signed in 2020 following the Abraham Accords signed by the UAE and Israel,” it adds.

Under the agreement, El Al will sell tickets and offer frequent flier points to its members for the twice-weekly Etihad service between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv from July 18.