The first two direct commercial flights between Tel Aviv and Marrakech, operated by the Israeli companies “El Al” and “Israir”, landed on Sunday in the Marrakech-Menara international Airport.
These two commercial flights mark the arrival of the first Israeli tourists in the Kingdom. These new flights follow discussions held by the Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT), for several months, with Israeli tourism professionals.
The Sales and Commercial Vice-Presidents of the company “El Al” travelled on the occasion and were welcomed in Marrakech, by Adel El Fakir, Managing Director of ONMT.
On the same occasion, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the ONMT and the carrier “El Al”, setting the framework for the promotion of the Morocco destination in joint marketing.
The flight operated by the airline “El Al” carried tourism professionals, as well as a dozen of journalists and Israeli influencers, invited by the ONMT and who will stay in Morocco until Thursday July 29th. According to the ONMT, a series of meetings will be organized bringing together Moroccan and Israeli professionals in Marrakech and Essaouira, in order to generate commercial and media benefits for the destination of Morocco.
“We are particularly happy today to launch the first commercial line between Morocco and Israel (Marrakech-Tel-Aviv), which crowns the important decisions taken by Morocco for the resumption of relations between the two countries, as well as the efforts made by the ONMT, the ministry in charge and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”, underlined the Director General of the ONMT Adel El Fakir in a press statement.
For her part, Dina Ben-Tal (Ganancia), Vice President of Commercial & Industry Affairs of the airline “El Al”, affirmed that this is a “historic day” thanks to this first commercial flight between Tel Aviv and Marrakech, which creates a bridge between two countries linked by “good relations of cooperation”.
Recalling that nearly a million Israelis are from Morocco, Ben-Tal stressed that this direct commercial flight will bring more business opportunities and attract more Israeli tourists to the Kingdom. For his part, Israir’s Rami Levy expressed his emotion saying that “we have waited with great enthusiasm and emotion for the launch of commercial flights between our two countries,” he said.
The same optimism was voiced by Jacky Kadoch, president of the Jewish Community of Marrakech-Safi, who also expressed the joy of the Jewish community for the establishment of a direct air route between Tel Aviv and Marrakech. The airline “El Al” will offer three flights per week between “Tel Aviv” “Ben Gurion” and Marrakech-Menara airport, operated by Boeing 737-900ER which can accommodate 16 passengers in Business class and 159 in Economy, said the ONMT. It added, that as of August 10, “El Al” will also operate three weekly rotations to Casablanca Mohammed V airport, indicating that a third airline, “Arkia”, will launch its flights from next September. With a Moroccan diaspora estimated at 800,000 people, the Israeli market represents a great potential for the destination of Morocco, said the Office, which specifies that currently between 50,000 to 80,000 Israelis visit the Kingdom annually.
