Israeli airlines are rushing to launch flights to Dubai by the end of the year as demand reportedly spikes

• Three Israeli airlines are launching flights to the United Arab Emirates before the end of the year.
• Airlines are reporting high demand that's encouraging a sooner than planned launch date for some flights.
• The first air link comes less than six months following a US-brokered peace deal that normalized relations between the UAE and Israel.

Israelis will soon be able to board a non-stop flight bound for the United Arab Emirates, an idea that was thought impossible just a few months ago, following the historic peace deal between the two Middle Eastern countries.

Three Israeli airlines are planning to launch flights between Israel and Dubai, the only UAE city currently welcoming foreign visitors, before year's end. El Al Israel Airlines will launch the first flights in November followed by Israir and Arkia as Israelis yearn to explore the opulent city that has been previously inaccessible to them.

Israel's flag carrier will launch the first commercial flights on November 30 using a mix of Boeing 737-900ER and 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, Ynetnews reporter Itay Blumental tweeted on October 29. El Al flew the first commercial flight between Israel and the UAE in August carrying an Israeli and American delegation that included Jared Kushner, credited with brokering the deal.

Israir will then launch flights on December 4, according to its booking system, followed by Arkia, the second-largest airline in Israel, on December 20. Arkia flights were initially planned for a January 2021 launch, according to local newspaper Globes, but the airline reported massive demand that encouraged a sooner start date before the new year.

All travelers entering the UAE through Dubai are required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test at their departure airport conducted 96 hours before the flight, according to the UAE government. Access to other regions of the country outside of Dubai is heavily restricted.

From the UAE side, neither Emirates nor Etihad Airways have announced the addition of Israel to its route network. FlyDubai, a UAE-based budget airline closely aligned with Emirates, will launch twice-daily flights starting November 26, preempting all the Israeli airlines.

Emiratis won't be able to visit Israel just yet for tourism as the Jewish state is still closed to foreign visitors.

Only travelers with Israeli passports or permanent residents – or non-nationals who receive permission from the Israeli government – will be permitted to enter the State of Israel, according to the US Embassy in Israel, of which there are few, if any, living in the Arab nation. Business travelers may soon be able to enter, however, Globes is reporting, if they receive permission.

More new flights can be expected to and from Israel's Ben Gurion Airport as more agreements are being reached with Middle Eastern and African nations including Bahrain and Sudan. Travelers returning from Dubai also won't be subject to the 14-quarantine for travelers as long as the UAE remains on Israeli's "green" list of low-risk COVID-19 countries.