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Israeli airline to resume Morocco flights this summer

Arkia will operate twice-weekly flights to Marrakech starting on Aug. 24 after a three-year suspension of service on the route.

Arkia
An Arkia plane. Credit: Courtesy.

Israeli airline Arkia announced on Wednesday that it is resuming flights to Morocco this summer, after a three-year suspension following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

The carrier will operate twice-weekly flights to Marrakech starting on Aug. 24, with one-way fares beginning at $329.

Israeli flag carrier El Al has not yet resumed flights to the North African country.

“The resumption of direct flights to Marrakech is fantastic news for the Israeli public, and we are already seeing tremendous demand for the destination,” Yoni Waxman, deputy chairman of Israel’s Ophir Tours, told JNS.

“Marrakech was one of the most sought-after and successful destinations for Israeli tourists, and the resumption of the route reflects airlines’ renewed confidence in demand from the Israeli market,” said Shirley Cohen Orkaby, vice president for marketing at Israel’s Eshet Tours.

The news comes at a volatile time for the Israeli aviation industry and on a day when U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was over after repeated attacks in the Gulf by the Islamic regime.

“The fact that Arkia has announced the resumption of flights to Morocco with the Israeli security apparatus supporting the decision is quite promising,” Mark Feldman, CEO of Jerusalem’s Ziontours, told JNS. “Sadly, if the Iran war heats up, Arkia may postpone that resumption as Israelis are concerned that attacks on Israel will resume.”

Israel and Morocco, which for decades had maintained covert cooperation in the defense and intelligence sphere, formalized relations as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords that saw four Arab countries make peace with Israel under the first Trump administration.

An estimated million Jews of Moroccan descent live in Israel; 200,000 Israelis flocked to Morocco in 2022, many on “roots trips.”

Etgar Lefkovits, an award-winning international journalist, is an Israel correspondent and a feature news writer for JNS. A native of Chicago, he has two decades of experience in journalism, having served as Jerusalem correspondent in one of the world’s most demanding positions. He is currently based in Tel Aviv.
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