JERUSALEM 

Israel's national airline, El Al Israel Airlines, has opted to avoid using the airspace of Saudi Arabia and Oman for its South Asian flights due to "security concerns," Israeli media reported on Monday. 

The decision has resulted in an extension of the flight duration from Tel Aviv to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, now taking 11.5 hours instead of the previous 8.5 hours.

In February, the Israeli administration announced the opening of Oman's airspace to Israeli airlines, following a similar move by Saudi Arabia.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz.