A Kenya Airways airplane. Photo: Aldo Bidini / Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – International cooperation and tacit recognition of Israel has received a boost, with Kenyan Airways submitting a formal request to fly commercial planes from Kenya to Israel over Sudanese airspace.

Israel and Sudan currently have no diplomatic ties, though Sudan has distanced itself from the Shi’ite Islamic movement led by Iran and developed a greater alliance with Saudi Arabia.

The airline’s request comes just weeks after Saudi Arabia granted permission to Air India to establish a commercial route to Israel over Saudi airspace.

Kenya Airways is planning to begin operating weekly flights between Israeli and Nairobi in 2019.

On Thursday, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz met with the CEO of the airline, Sebastian Mikosz, to discuss additional steps towards actualizing the plan.