OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: The first ever passenger flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel landed near Tel Aviv on Monday, a month after the countries signed an agreement normalising ties. Etihad Airways flight EY 9607 from Abu Dhabi landed at Ben Gurion airport early in the morning with only crew on board, a spokeswoman for the Israel Airports Authority told AFP.

The plane picked up Israeli tourism professionals, who would be flying to the UAE for a two-day visit organised by Israeli company Maman Group, the spokeswoman said. The UAE carrier said it had made "history".

"Etihad has become the first Gulf airline to operate a passenger flight to Israel. And this is only the beginning," the airline said on Twitter. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the inaugural flight "a great thing'. "We are making historic changes here," he told a meeting of his Likud party.