Israir announced will begin direct flights from Ben-Gurion International Airport to Marrakech, Morocco, starting on July 19, the airline announced Tuesday.
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Israir said it planned to operate five direct flights between Tel Aviv and Marrakech weekly.
"We estimate that demand will be high and that hundreds of thousands of passengers from Israel will visit the destination as part of vacation packages or as part of tour packages," Israir VP of marketing Gil Stav said.
Israel and Morocco agreed in December to resume diplomatic relations and relaunch direct flights as part of a deal brokered by the United States that also included Washington's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Morocco was once home to one of the largest and most prosperous Jewish communities in North Africa and the Middle East for centuries until Israel's founding in 1948. As Jews fled or were expelled from many Arab countries, an estimated 250,000 Jews left Morocco for Israel from 1948 to 1964.
Today, only around 3,000 Jews remain in Morocco, while hundreds of thousands of Israelis claim Moroccan ancestry.
In March, Moroccan Tourism Minister Nadia Fettah Alaoui said she expected 200,000 Israeli visitors in the first year following the resumption of direct flights. Morocco's tourism revenue dropped over 53% in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.
El Al, Israel's national air carrier, also said Tuesday that it hoped to start direct flights to Morocco in July and that it was now awaiting final approval from Moroccan and Israeli authorities.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
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