After Riyadh announced last month that it would open its airspace to all airlines, Cathay Pacific and Air Seychelles flew Saudi Arabia for Israel flights for the first time. Opening Saudi airspace to flights to and from Israel was a focus of US President Joe Biden’s tour of the countries, which do not have formal ties, last month. Riyadh agreed in principle. Air Seychelles said it “became the first airline to receive permission from the Saudi Arabian authorities to overfly their territory”, with Wednesday evening’s Tel Aviv to Mahe flight.
