Part of the uniqueness of the flight was the additional political dimension it reflected in what CBC News called: “the implementation of the historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two nations which solidified the long-clandestine ties between them that have evolved over years of shared enmity toward Iran”.
by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne
writing from Montreal
“It is time to re-imagine how life is organized on Earth. We’re accelerating into a future shaped less by countries than by connectivity. Mankind has a new maxim – Connectivity is destiny – and the most connected powers, and people, will win.”
― Parag Khanna
On Monday 31 August 2020, an aircraft bearing the nationality of Israel adorned with a Star of David-insignia, took off from Israel's Ben Gurion Airport for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. This marked the establishment of commercial air links between the two countries and the cementing of diplomatic and political relations between Israel and the third country in the Gulf (the other two being Egypt and Jordan). Although Israel has a history of armed conflict with Egypt and Jordan, there has been no such belligerence with the United Arab Emirates in the past. Apart from fare-paying passengers, the Boeing 737 aircraft, which was given permission by the authorities of Saudi Arabia to fly over its airspace, carried a high-ranking American and Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi.
Part of the uniqueness of the flight was the additional political dimension it reflected in what CBC News called: “the implementation of the historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two nations which solidified the long-clandestine ties between them that have evolved over years of shared enmity toward Iran”.
Before one gets into the air transport aspects of this historical landmark it might be relevant to dwell on the political connotations flowing from the flight. Plainly speaking, the opening of skies between Israel and UAE brings to bear the significance of how Iran is perceived in the eyes of Saudi Arabia, UAE and its allies. It will be recalled that in June 2017 Qatari aircraft were banned from the skies of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where the two States alleged that Qatar posed a security threat in its alleged support of Islamic militants linked to Iran . This ban also applied to land, maritime and aerial lines of communication with Qatar. This measure, seemingly adopted without prior consultation with Qatar, caused much inconvenience to Qatar Airways which had to reroute its flights, causing inflated costs to the airline and political contention in the region.
The dispute went to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization and onwards to the International Court of Justice, where the latter handed down its decision in July of this year. One might be tempted to link the skirmish with Qatar (perceived as an ally of Iran) to the airlink between Israel and UAE if only for the fact that Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to the passage of the historic flight on Monday. This seminal airlink could be a sign of things to come where like-minded States follow suit. As The Economist of August 22-28, 2020 says: “ A good bet is Oman, which congratulated Israel and the UAE on their agreement. In the past Oman has played the role of interlocutor between Israel and the Arab world…If Oman doesn’t go next, perhaps Bahrain will. Its cabinet praised the “historic” Israel-UAE deal. Its prime minister has reportedly talked to the chief of Israel’s spy agency. And it has hosted Israeli officials before…Some point to Sudan as a strong possibility. Its interim leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met Mr Netanyahu this year in Uganda, where they agreed to start normalising ties. Lately, though, Sudan has sent mixed messages.
On the other side of Africa, Morocco is a decent bet too. It has played a leading role in previous Arab peace initiatives with Israel and was once a hub of Jewish life. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis hail from the north African state. Nearby Mauritania is another contender. It had formal ties with Israel from 1999 to 2009, but broke them off because of war over Gaza. Still, it praised the UAE’s “good judgment”.
A long shot is Saudi Arabia. Muhammad bin Salman, the kingdom’s crown prince and de facto ruler, has said that formal relations could be mutually beneficial”.
Israel is one of the most advanced countries in the world in education, science and technology not to mention medical science, where breakthroughs are pioneered. It goes without saying that any country which endears itself to Israel would stand to benefit immensely in uplifting the living standards of its people.
From the aviation point of view (leaving aside political considerations) any airlink between two countries has to be applauded as such a measure would be consistent with the aim and objective of the originalist approach at the Chicago Conference of 1944 where, at the end of the Second World War, 52 nations signed the Chicago Convention which is based on connectivity that forges friendship and understanding among the people of the world. At that conference, the Delegate of China, Dr. Chang said: “ As the Chairman, Mr. Berle has just said, the air has been used as a medium of aggression, and it is our purpose hereafter to make it a highway serving all peoples of the world. Fortunately, aviation is still a young art and therefore more subject to the influence of forethought in shaping the course of its development and its role in human affairs”. Adolf A. Berle, Chairman of the Conference and representative of The United States said, adding a nuance to the statement of China: “The use of the air has this in common with the use of the sea: it is a highway given by nature to all men. It differs in this from the sea: that it is subject to the sovereignty of the nations over which it moves. Nations ought therefore to arrange among themselves for it’s use in that manner which will be of the greatest benefit to all humanity wherever situated”.
Another compelling argument for the establishment of airlinks between Israel and UAE is embodied in the statement of the Delegate of Canada at the Chicago Conference: “ Nations can exercise, in an anti-social way, their present right to refuse foreign airlines air transit over their territories. Nations can likewise exercise, in an anti-social way, their present right to prevent foreign airlines from landing on their territories to pick up and discharge traffic. The obstructionist use of the one right can be an outrageous exploit of geography for purely negative and destructive purposes by nations which are situated athwart the great airways of the world. The obstructionist use of the other right can be an equally outrageous exploitation of economic power for purely negative and destructive purposes”.
From a purely aeronautical and economic perspective which is founded on the need to connect the world through air transport, as the forefathers and founding fathers envisioned, the airlink between Israel and UAE could be heralded as a positive step in a negative thinking world.
Dr. Abeyratne is an aviation consultant who teaches air law and policy at McGill University
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