Dubai is likely to benefit the most in aviation from the United Arab Emirates’ historic deal to normalize relations with Israel, gaining a new stream of travelers that can help the Gulf travel hub bounce back from the coronavirus crisis that has decimated air traffic.
The agreement announced Thursday sets aside decades of enmity between the UAE and Israel, opening ties through air travel, tourism, investment, security and telecommunications. Delegations from the two countries are set to meet soon to work out the details.
The opening will give the UAE’s biggest carriers -- Emirates and Etihad -- an opportunity to feed Israeli passengers through their airport hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, respectively, connecting to destinations farther east and west. Currently, Royal Jordanian and Turkish Airlines are the only carriers in the Middle East that fly to Israel.
Dubai in particular could benefit, as its airport offers daily flights to more than 250 destinations, said Anne Correa, vice president for airline and airport services at aviation consulting firm Morten Beyer & Agnew.
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