There is no change in the position on the issue of Palestine
There has been no change in Saudi’s old position on the Palestinian issue. Saudi Arabia will always stand with the Palestinian people. He also clarified that there has been no change in the status quo considering that the air route has been opened. He added that Saudi Arabia wants an end to the Palestinian-Israeli crisis, referring to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
The runway was opened in early July
Last month, the General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that all airlines that meet the conditions set forth by the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority will be allowed to use the country’s airspace. When US President Joe Biden was about to fly from Israel to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi authorities announced that they would open their air routes to airlines from countries including Israel.
Part of international etiquette
The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said at the time that the new announcement was part of fulfilling its obligations under the Chicago Convention of 1944, which stipulates that there should be no discrimination between civil aircraft in international aviation. Officials also clarified that the new decision is part of the goal of becoming an international aviation hub by allowing all flights to use Saudi airspace as an important hub connecting three continents. It is also part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s decision to turn Saudi Arabia into an international logistics hub. Previously, only UAE and Bahraini airlines were allowed to fly to Israel using Saudi airspace.