Israeli airline Arkia restored direct flights between Tel Aviv and Marrakech on Wednesday, ending a suspension of nearly three years and removing the need for lengthy connecting journeys between Israel and Morocco.
The inaugural flight landed in Marrakech on August 19. Arkia is expected to operate the route twice weekly, becoming the first Israeli carrier to restart direct service to Morocco since flights were suspended following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the ensuing Gaza war.
Services are scheduled to begin on August 24 using Airbus A320 aircraft, the carrier said.
Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, traveled on the first flight. Her office described the visit as private, although she was accompanied by senior ministry officials, including ministry Director-General Moshe Ben Zaken and Public Transportation Authority head Idan Mualem.
El Al has not announced a return to Morocco. Arkia previously said one-way tickets would start at $329 and that Israeli passport holders must obtain a Moroccan visa before travel.
Moroccan Jewish community representatives welcomed the route’s restoration, saying it would make family, religious and heritage travel easier for Israelis of Moroccan origin who previously faced long transit times.
Jacky Kadosh, president of the Jewish community in the Marrakech-Safi region, said direct service would encourage more visits by reducing travel time. He said bookings were particularly strong ahead of Sukkot, when many travelers seek to spend the eight-day Jewish holiday in Morocco.
David Kna’an, president of the Association of Marrakech Jews, said Moroccan Jews living in Israel and travel agencies serving the route had awaited the resumption for nearly three years. He said the flights could support tourism in both markets and reconnect families with ancestral communities.
Morocco and Israel agreed to restore diplomatic relations in December 2020, with direct air links becoming one of the agreement’s most visible outcomes. The routes expanded travel by Israeli tourists and members of the Moroccan Jewish diaspora before airlines suspended service in 2023.
The resumption comes as Morocco maintains official ties with Israel while facing continued domestic opposition to normalization over the Gaza war.
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