Air India will fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia, shortening travel time

The apparent decision of Saudi Arabia to allow Air India to fly over its territory on the way to and from Israel, marking a historic first, is a "very important event," said Dore Gold, a former director general of the Foreign Ministry who the past He had several informal contacts with the Saudis.

Gold's comment came amid numerous media reports that the Saudis were changing their policy of some 70 years and allowing overflights of planes coming and going from Israel.

Air India plans to start flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv using Saudi Arabia's skyspace. Flights will be two hours shorter after the overflight ban has been lifted.

Several Israeli agencies, consulted on the issue on Wednesday, sent questions to the Prime Minister's Office, which neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the issue during his visit to India last month. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of India, Sushma Swaraj, is currently on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia