Middle East diplomats say progress made in effort; Riyadh's decision has proven largely symbolic, as flights to the Far East also need Omani airspace to cut time

Arkia flight IZ611 to Seychelles flies along Saudi's Red Sea shores, reducing travel time by 20 minutes; more substantial reductions to routes will require use of Oman's airspace

According to TV report, El Al and Arkia are asking to reroute flights to destinations in East Asia to shorten flight times, but haven't heard back yet from Riyadh

Riyadh's FM says move 'has nothing to do' with diplomatic relations; also states he's not aware of any talks on Israel-integrated air defense system, after US hailed notion

White House says move result of months of diplomacy between Washington and Riyadh; president to speak on breakthrough later in the day

Approval would allow Muslim pilgrims to board direct flights from Tel Aviv for annual pilgrimage to Mecca; announcement may be made this week, CNN reports

Kingdom currently allows pilgrims from Israel but requires them to travel through a third country; direct flights from Tel Aviv would cut costs by half, says Minister Esawi Frej

Agreement with Jordanian, European authorities to shorten flights comes after deal to allow Israelis to attend tournament in Gulf nation

Growing list of nations, including some Scandinavians, Italy, Germany and Poland, essentially blocking flights to West, as Russia takes reciprocal action

PA prime minister, Hamas condemn trip to Abu Dhabi by Israeli and US officials for discussions on normalization deal