Israel Aerospace to service Gulf Air planes while in Israel

State-owned defense contractor Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said on Thursday it will service planes from Bahraini airliner Gulf Air that land in Israel.

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Bahrain and Israel formalized ties in September and have agreed to allow 14 weekly commercial flights between Manama and Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, though a start date has not been announced.

The companies signed the line maintenance deal during a visit by a Bahraini delegation led by the country’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.

IAI said it would “provide a comprehensive technical response ... including post- and pre-flight services, daily maintenance, and support for any technical issues.”

Yosef Melamed, general manager of IAI’s aviation group, said he expects similar deals with other airlines in the region after Israel normalized ties with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

IAI provides line maintenance services to 75 percent of airlines landing in Ben Gurion airport.

Along with its aviation business, IAI deals with air and missile defenses, drones, precision-guided weapons and satellites.

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