Israel's El Al stops flying over Oman on Bangkok route

Israel’s El Al Airlines said yesterday it had temporarily stopped flying over Omani airspace on its route to Bangkok for safety reasons, Reuters reported.

In February, El Al became the first Israeli national carrier to use a new corridor over Saudi Arabia and Oman, after Muscat joined Riyadh in allowing Israeli civilian overflights.

An El Al spokeswoman said there was no specific threat to El Al aircraft but the airline opted to revert back to a route over Saudi Arabia but not Oman, lengthening the flight time between Tel Aviv and Bangkok to 11 hours from eight.

El Al, she said, is seeking a new route over Oman and has asked Omani officials for approval.

Israel has stepped up security on all its transport networks since it launched its bombing campaign on Gaza on 7 October.

Oman neighbours Yemen, where the Houthis have threatened to target Israel as a result of its attacks on Palestinians.

READ: Israel’s El Al Airlines says Dubai flights will be disrupted