US-Israeli delegation lands in Abu Dhabi on historic flight

A US-Israeli delegation including White House advisor Jared Kushner took off on a historic first direct commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi to mark the normalisation of ties between the Jewish state and the UAE. Credit: AFP Photo

The first direct commercial flight from Israel to the United Arab Emirates landed in Abu Dhabi on Monday, with a US-Israeli delegation on board, after the two countries struck an accord to normalise ties.

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and White House advisor, was on board Flight 971 of Israel's national carrier El Al as part of the delegation who were to meet with UAE officials.

The aircraft flew through Saudi Arabia's airspace, according to specialist website FlightRadar24 -- the first time El Al has publicly flown over the kingdom.