WASHINGTON – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday thatSaudi Arabia had granted Air India permission to fly over its territory onits new routes to and from Tel Aviv.

There was no immediate confirmation from either Saudilink>officials or Air Indialink> . Netanyahulink>made the announcement during abriefing in Washington to Israeli reporters after he had met US PresidentDonald Trump.

Saudi link> Arabia does not recogniseIsraellink> and lifting the 70-year-old airspace banwould reflect what appears to be thawing ties betweenIsraellink> and the kingdom, both US allies with ashared concern over Iranian influence in the region.

Last month, Air India link> announced theplanned thrice-weekly flights to Tel Aviv over Saudilink> soil, but the General Authority of CivilAviation in Riyadh said at the time it had not granted such permission tothe carrier.

El Al Israel link> Airlines, the country’sflag carrier, flies four weekly flights to Mumbai. These take seven hoursas they fly south toward Ethiopia and then east to India, avoiding Saudilink>airspace.

Israel link> media have said that Saudilink>overflight routes could reduce travel timeby more than two hours. – Agencies