The U.S. Department of Transportation has filed a complaint with Israel on Friday about its "unfair treatment" of airlines due to the COVID-19 lockdown the Jewish state imposed last month.
Israel allows Israeli airline EL AL to send rescue flights to New York for Israelis stranded abroad but prevents a similar option from U.S. airlines United Airlines and Delta.
An Israeli source involved in the details confirmed to CNN that a complaint had been filed on the matter.
The current policy for rescue flights provides El Al with an unfair advantage over foreign competitors and is a violation of the Open Skies agreement between the two countries, which states that each side must allow fair competition and equal opportunity for the other countries' airlines.