New Flight Routes Introduced by Israir Airlines
Israir Airlines, a private Israeli carrier based in Tel Aviv, has made an exciting announcement regarding its expansion into Morocco's travel market. Starting from early November, the airline will operate two weekly direct flights to Marrakech, alongside a request to initiate a direct weekly service to Casablanca. The Marrakech route is set to operate from early November until early January, while the Casablanca service is contingent on obtaining the necessary operational approvals. This strategic scheduling caters to both short getaway travelers and those seeking longer vacations of nine to twelve nights, targeting individual travelers as well as organized tour groups. The timing aligns with Morocco's low tourist season, straddling the end of the summer period and the holiday season, when hotel availability in Marrakech increases and airfare prices become more competitive.
Enhanced Travel Options for Passengers
The introduction of this second entry point into Morocco presents a significant shift for travel itineraries originating from Israel, allowing passengers the flexibility to arrive in Marrakech and depart from Casablanca without needing to return to their initial arrival city. Israir has emphasized that this approach is part of their broader mission to enhance their operational footprint in Morocco and offer more versatile vacation options to their clients. The dual-destination offering not only permits varied travel routes but also accommodates diverse lengths of stay, which is particularly appealing for tourists looking for customized travel experiences.
Israir is not the only airline servicing Marrakech; Arkia Israeli Airlines reestablished its flights to the city on August 24, with two weekly rotations using Airbus A320 aircraft. Following Arkia's lead, Israir launched its own weekly flight on September 1, a schedule that has now been extended and doubled with the recent announcement. El Al Israel Airlines is also slated to return to this route on November 16, through its leisure subsidiary Sun D’Or, offering two weekly flights starting at $599 for round trips. The airline's CEO, Gal Gershon, articulated that this expansion aims to broaden the options for winter destinations available to the Israeli public, with Marrakech now complementing a selection of short getaway options.
If approved, the request for a Casablanca route would reopen a travel corridor that had been closed for three years, reinstating the pre-2023 travel landscape where Israeli airlines serviced Marrakech, Casablanca, and Agadir. Mohammed V Airport, which handles the majority of international traffic in Morocco, has traditionally been a favored destination for Israeli leisure travelers.
Since the resumption of direct flights between Israel and Morocco in 2021, following a normalization agreement in December 2020, service was interrupted after the events of October 7, 2023. Despite these interruptions, the number of Israeli arrivals in Morocco surged from 39,900 in 2019 to over 70,000 in 2022, as reported by the Central Bureau of Statistics of Israel. An influx of around 20,000 Israeli visitors is anticipated by the end of 2026, although this figure remains capped due to limited available flight frequencies.
Commercial exchanges between the two nations also reflect significant growth, reaching $105.5 million in the first half of 2026, marking a 69.6% increase. This includes $94 million in Israeli exports to Morocco and $11.5 million in Moroccan exports to Israel, the latter up by 91.7%. A trilateral summit in New York, featuring Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, has indicated plans to expand service to Moroccan airlines, which are expected to establish their own direct routes to Israel, alongside anticipated agreements on investment protection and non-double taxation by the end of 2026.
As reported by barlamane.com.
