Arkia announced that it has received the necessary approval to resume its flights to Thailand on the regular, short route over Somalia.
The approval is effective immediately, and the company is expected to implement the change on upcoming flights on the route.
According to the company’s announcement, the arrangement was reached after efforts by various parties, including government ministries and the Civil Aviation Authority, who worked to address the issue related to operating the line and maintaining air continuity on long-haul flights from Israel.
Arkia notes that this is a move of strategic importance, allowing a return to the original and short flight route, as it operated in the past.
The company wished to personally thank the Director of the Civil Aviation Authority, Brigadier General (res.)
for his “direct involvement, assistance and commitment to resolving the issue.”
Recall that last month, Arkia announced that Somalia had not authorized it to continue flying in its airspace, due to its failure to recognize Somaliland’s secession from it.
This comes after Israel and Somaliland announced the establishment of diplomatic relations at the end of December.
Arkia’s flights that pass through Somaliland’s skies are flights to Bangkok, which are carried out on chartered planes, but according to the law, every flight operated by an Israeli company is required to obtain permission to transit from all the countries in whose territory it passes.
The flight route to Thailand passes, among other things, over the Red Sea and through the skies of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and India.