The highly anticipated inaugural flight of Israir Airlines, connecting Tel Aviv to Marrakech, was unable to take off as scheduled on Tuesday. This flight was meant to mark the first direct air link between the two cities after a hiatus of over three years.
According to reports from local media, the delay stemmed from incomplete licensing procedures on the Moroccan side. The flight was originally scheduled to depart from Tel Aviv at 6 PM local time, with an expected arrival in Marrakech around 11 PM Moroccan time.
More than 200 Israeli-Moroccan passengers had booked their seats on this flight, which was intended to symbolize the resumption of direct air travel between Tel Aviv and Marrakech. However, the anticipated takeoff was thwarted due to the ongoing wait for Moroccan approval, a situation reportedly linked to the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdel Samad Qayouh.
Available information from the media indicates that the necessary authorization from the Directorate of Air Transport (DTA) has not yet been finalized, preventing the aircraft from departing at the designated time.
In this context, a traveler shared updates with acquaintances, stating that the arrival of Israir's inaugural flight from Tel Aviv, scheduled for 11 PM, was widely communicated by MSC, while noting that the DTA's licensing remains pending.
This delay comes at a time when the flight was expected to represent the first direct connection between Tel Aviv and Marrakech following years of suspension, coinciding with the renewed diplomatic ties between Morocco and Israel under the Abraham Accords.
As of now, the reasons for the incomplete licensing remain unclear, and further clarifications from the Ministry of Transport and Logistics and relevant authorities are awaited regarding the status of the flight and the timeline for resuming this air route.
As reported by telegraphe.ma.
