An El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Bangkok avoided Oman airspace on Tuesday, opting for a longer route as a general security precaution amid Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Israel’s flagship carrier had announced the temporary suspension of flights over the Gulf Arab state a day earlier, emphasizing that it was not due to any specific threat.
The Bangkok flight reverted to a previous route south over Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea and then east over the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean.
In February, Muscat joined Riyadh in allowing Israeli commercial flights over its territory. Saudi Arabia opened its skies to civilian flights from Israel in July 2022.
An El Al spokeswoman said on Monday that Israel has requested approval from authorities in Oman for a new route over the country.
Israel has stepped up transportation security measures in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre in the western Negev and the ensuing war.
