Posted on 07/25/21
| News Source: i24
El Al, Israir start regular routes some seven months after the two countries normalized relations
The first direct commercial flights between Israel and Morocco were scheduled to depart from Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning some seven months after the two countries agreed to normalize relations.
Israir flight number 6H61 took off at 8:15 am local time for the six-hour flight to Marrakech Menara Airport.
El Al flight number LY553 was set to take off at 11:20 am local time.
Sunday's trips are technically the second and third direct commercial flights between the two countries following the reestablishment of diplomatic ties in December.
However, the flight between Tel Aviv and Rabat on December 22 carrying American and Israeli delegations led by then-White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and then-national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat was symbolic while Sunday's flights represent the start of regular routes.
Pictures posted to Twitter and also taken by i24NEWS photographer Oceane Nicolle showed an elaborate Moroccan-themed display for passengers arriving to Ben Gurion Airport for the El Al flight, including Moroccan tea and pastries.