Passage Through Saudi-Oman Corridor Opens Asian Routes

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country located in Western Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, while sharing maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan.

An absolute monarchy led by a Sultan whose power is passed down through his male heirs, Oman is the oldest continuously independent state in the Arab world. The country’s oil reserves are ranked 22nd globally. In 2010, the United Nations Development Program ranked Oman as the most improved nation in the world in terms of development during the preceding forty-years.

On 23 February 2023, Oman's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) set forth that the nation’s airspace would henceforth be open to all civilian air-carriers. The measure enables Israeli airlines to utilize the Saudi-Oman corridor, thereby significantly cutting flight times to Asia.

Saudi Arabia, which after Oman’s fashion maintains no formal diplomatic ties with Israel, stated in 2022 that it would open its airspace to all air-carriers. Israeli officials, however, held fast to their former assertion that free passage through the Saudi-Oman corridor could not be implemented until Oman formally consented to such.

Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority adjudged: "Enforcing international and local requirements against discrimination in dealing with civilian aircraft, the Civil Aviation Authority confirms that the sultanate's airspace is open to all carriers that meet the requirements of overflying."

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen thanked Oman's ruler, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, and described the pronouncement as an "historic decision that will shorten the route to Asia, lower costs for Israelis and help Israeli airlines be more competitive".

Israeli flag carrier El Al stated the opening of the Saudi-Oman corridor would not only facilitate the shortening of current flight times, but compel the air-carrier to examine the feasibility of opening new routes to Australia and restarting flights to India.

Likewise, Israel's foreign ministry averred the corridor’s opening would shorten extant flight-routes to some Asian destinations by more than two-hours.

Opening Saudi airspace to flights to and from Israel was a longtime objective of U.S. President and Abraham Accord architect Donald Trump, whose administration maintained diplomatic relations with both Israeli and the Arab world. 

FMI: www.elal.com