20231030 ben gurion
El Al Israel Airlines planes are seen on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel. (File photo) Image Credit: Reuters

Jerusalem: Israel's El Al Airlines said on Monday it had temporarily stopped flying over Omani airspace on its route to Bangkok for safety reasons.

El Al in February became the first Israeli national carrier to use a new corridor over Saudi Arabia and Oman, after Muscat joined Riyadh in allowing Israeli civilian overflights.

An El Al spokeswoman said there was no specific threat to El Al aircraft but the airline opted to revert back to a route over Saudi Arabia but not Oman, lengthening the flight time between Tel Aviv and Bangkok to 11 hours from eight.

El Al, she said, is seeking a new route over Oman and has asked Omani officials for approval.

Israel has stepped up security on all its transport networks since attacks by Hamas militants on Israel on Oct. 7 and the ensuing war in Gaza.