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Agadir – On December 22, 2020, Morocco and Israel officialized their agreement to establish diplomatic relations. Since then there has been a flurry of activity: exchange of diplomatic delegations, establishment of new flight routes, as well as plans for a friendly match between the two national football teams.
Amongst the various institutions and sectors that have been working to reap the benefits of the new diplomatic ties, the aviation sector is a clear beneficiary of the deal. Following news of warming relations between Israel and Morocco, numerous airline companies have announced new routes connecting Casablanca and Tel Aviv.
Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and three Israeli airlines (El Al Israel Airlines, Israir Airlines and Arkia Israeli Airlines) are currently working on establishing regular flights between the two countries.
In addition to Moroccan and Israeli airlines, a number of international companies are also poised to join the fray. Several Moroccan outlets have reported that Emirates, Air France, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Turkish Airlines, and Pegasus all have scheduled flights connecting Casablanca and Tel Aviv.
While some of the reported connections can be found through search engines such as SkyScanner, only Royal Air Maroc and the three Israeli airlines have made official announcements regarding the route.
The silence from international airlines could either be related to the “sensitivity” that surrounds discussions about Israel, or the wait for more concrete information about the newly established diplomatic ties.
Regardless, when Israel and the United Arab Emirates ratified their new diplomatic relations, El Al Israel was quick to schedule 14 weekly flights connecting the countries, amongst other travel arrangements.
Meanwhile, with Moroccan and Israeli officials planning “official visits” and pushing for cooperation on tourism, more official announcements and information on flights between Morocco and Israel should follow in the coming weeks as the “sensitivity” dust settles.
