JERUSALEM/NEW DELHI: Air India said on Wednesday it plans to begin directflights to Israel and has proposed they pass through Saudi airspace, aroute so far off-limits to Israel-bound commercial planes.

Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel and lifting the 70-year-old airspaceban would reflect what appears to be thawing ties between Israel and thekingdom, both U.S. allies with a shared concern over Iranian influence inthe region.

An Air India spokesman and Israel’s Airports Authority said the state-runcarrier had requested slots for three weekly flights between New Delhi andTel Aviv. The Airports Authority said the service would begin in earlyMarch.

Air India was awaiting clearance from the Indian aviation regulator to flyover Saudi Arabia, the spokesman said.Israeli media, in unsourced reports, said Riyadh had granted the necessaryflyover rights, which would shorten the flight time from New Delhi by morethan two hours.

A spokesman for Saudi’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said the agencyhad not granted any permission to Air India.

India and Israel have built close ties over the years, largely centered onarms purchases, away from the public eye.

But under Narendra Modi, whose nationalist party has long admired Israelfor its tough approach to terrorism, ties have flowered across the economyand last year he made a first-ever visit to Israel by an Indian primeminister.

And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited India last month, thefirst such trip in 15 years.

El Al Israel Airlines, the country’s flag carrier, flies four weeklyflights to Mumbai but these take seven hours rather than five as they takea route south toward Ethiopia and then east to India, avoiding Saudiairspace.Israel’s Tourism Ministry said it will grant Air India 750,000 euros forflying the new route, as part of its policy of increasing the number ofairlines flying to Israel.

Air India had made a similar request for slots to Israeli authorities lastyear but never followed through, after that circumventing Saudi airspacewas not economically viable. – Agencies