Suresh Prabhu

New Delhi : Saudi Arabia’s permission for overflight of Air India’s new service between New Delhi and Tel Aviv has shown “a new image of India”, Commerce and Industries and Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday.

While addressing the CII northern region annual conference on ‘New India: Translating Aspirations into Reality’, Prabhu said: “There is the need to ensure that India makes progress and realises its true potential. I will give an example of this, Today… Saudi Arabia has allowed (flight operations) from Delhi to Tel Aviv over the airspace of Saudi Arabia.

“It has never happened that Saudi Arabia’s airspace could have been used for landing into Israel. What this shows is the new image of India.”

On Thursday, Air India operated its inaugural flight linking New Delhi operated with a 256-seater Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

“From 1st April, the flight will operate thrice-a-week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and will cover the distance in around seven hours – making it the fastest air-connectivity from India to Israel,” the airline said in a statement.

—IANS