The first direct commercial flight between Israel and Morocco lands in Marrakech
Israeli tourists disembark in Marrakech on July 25, 2021. AFP - FADEL SENNA
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Around 100 Israeli tourists who arrived in Morocco by the first direct commercial flight between the two countries were greeted with dates, cakes and mint tea during a welcoming ceremony.
Publicity
Read more
Seven months after the
normalization of relations between Israel and Morocco
, this first flight kicked off frequent air links.
Air carrier Israir plans two to three commercial flights between Tel Aviv and Marrakech each week.
The Israeli national company El Al plans to schedule five flights per week to the cities of Marrakech and Casablanca.
These flights will facilitate the journey of the 50,000 to 70,000 Israeli tourists who travel to the kingdom each year.
Until now, they had to stop over in other countries.
These direct flights and the normalization of relations should allow Morocco to receive more Israeli tourists, especially as the 700,000 Israelis of Moroccan descent have often kept very strong ties with their country of origin.
Rabat is counting on 200,000 Israeli travelers per year from 2022, if the pandemic does not complicate the situation.
Direct flights should also facilitate business travel, especially as if relations were officially suspended, links had been maintained.
According to a bulletin from the France-Israel Chamber of Commerce, quoted by AFP last year, Morocco is among the five most important African customers of Israel.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Morocco
Israel
Trade and Trade
Transport