El Al seeks international help to access Saudi airspace

TEL AVIV – Israel's flag carrier El Al has asked an airline industry lobby group to help it access Saudi Arabian airspace, so it can compete with Air India's planned route between India and Israel.

The request came in a letter on Wednesday from El Al's chief executive to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in which he said he has also approached Israel's prime minister.

Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel though there has been a thawing of the relationship between the US allies, with a shared concern over Iranian influence in the region. Granting an Israeli airline access to its air space by lifting a 70-year-old ban, however, would mark a dramatic diplomatic shift.