Israeli airlines launch first direct flights to Morocco

JERUSALEM: Two Israeli airlines launched their first commercial flights between Israel and Morocco on Sunday, less than a year after the countries officially normalised relations.

Israir’s flight departed Tel Aviv for Marrakech with around 100 Israeli tourists, the company said, hours before Israeli national carrier El Al dispatched its first direct flight to the same destination.

Israeli Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said the new direct flights would “help advance fruitful tourism, trade and economic cooperation and diplomatic agreements between the two countries.”

Israel and Morocco agreed to normalise relations in late 2020 as part of the U.S.-brokered “Abraham Accords.”