An Egyptair jet landed at Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport on Sunday, marking the Egyptian national carrier’s first official direct flight to the Jewish state since the two countries signed a peace treaty in 1979.
Egyptair affiliate AirSinai has been running flights to Israel for decades, albeit while not displaying the company logo, according to AP. The national carrier will now openly operate three weekly flights between Cairo and Tel Aviv.
The Israeli embassy in Cairo tweeted that direct flights are “an important and welcome sign of strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries, especially economic relations,” reported AP.
Last week, Bahrain’s Gulf Air made its first direct flight to Israel, in yet another sign of improving ties following the signing of the Abraham Accords last year between Israel and four Arab states.
