Royal Air Maroc will run the new service four times a week between Casablanca and Tel Aviv.
First non-stop route to Israel
Yesterday, Royal Air Maroc’s first flight to Israel departed from Morocco, starting their new service between the two nations. Flight AT228 departed from Mohammed V International Airport early Sunday morning and touched down in Ben Gurion less than five hours later.
This inaugural trip is the first direct route Royal Air Maroc has flown to Israel since the two countries formalised their diplomatic ties in late 2020. last week, the national carrier announced that it would be starting a new non-stop service operating four times weekly between Casablanca and Tel Aviv. The service was initially set to begin on 12 December last year but was delayed due to COVID concerns.
The route will be operated using Royal Air Maroc’s fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and passengers aboard the flights will be offered kosher meal options. The schedule is as follows:
- Flight A228 will fly Casablanca to Tel Aviv on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The flights will depart at 23:55 and arrive at 06:15
- Flight AT229 will fly Tel Aviv to Casablanca on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The flights will depart an hour thereafter arrival at Ben Gurion, leaving the airport at 07:15 and arriving in Morocco at 12:10 (all local time)
Moroccan-Israeli relations
Morocco first formally recognised Israel as a state on 10 December 2020; however, the two countries had maintained informal ties before this. Morocco is home to a large and historic Jewish population, with over 50,000 a year travelling to Israel to learn about their heritage and retrace family history. Likewise, a 2019 Israeli census counted 472,800 Moroccan Jews living in Israel.
The first flights between the two countries were run by Israeli carriers El Al and Israel Air, which began in July 2021, over six months after the two countries formalised their diplomatic relations. These were the first direct routes operating between the two nations in over two decades, the last being in 1993. Many Israelis and Moroccans will be pleased to see Royal Air Maroc offering more travel opportunities.
