Flydubai completes first flight from Tel Aviv to Dubai

The low-cost carrier operated a charter flight between the two cities on Sunday

Israeli tourists leave a flydubai plane which departed Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and landed in Dubai on November 8. AP

Flydubai has operated its first commercial flight between Israel and the UAE.

The flight from Tel Aviv landed in Dubai on November 8 at 5.42pm, after a flying time of two hours and 41 minutes.

“Flydubai operated a commercial charter flight from Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport to Dubai International Airport on November 8,” the airline confirmed in a statement.

The one-off charter flight comes before the launch of scheduled flydubai services to the Israeli capital on Thursday, November 26. The low-cost airline will fly twice daily to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport from Dubai International Airport, becoming the first carrier to operate direct passenger flights between the two cities.

Return fares for flights on the low-cost carrier start from Dh1,600 ($435) in economy class, departing from Dubai. Business class tickets on the same route start from Dh6,000.

A recently signed air transport agreement between the UAE and Israel has allowed airlines in the UAE to begin introducing passenger and cargo flights between the countries.

Speaking earlier this month, Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive at flydubai, said the introduction of scheduled flights would "contribute to economic development and create further opportunities for investment in pursuit of our shared interests and values."

On October 19, Etihad became the first UAE carrier to operate a commercial passenger flight from Abu Dhabi to Israel. A mutual visa-free travel scheme between the two countries will allow Emiratis to travel to Israel for up to 90 days without a visa.