Air traffic between Israel and Morocco is beginning to recover. Arkia restored its nonstop Tel Aviv–Marrakech route in late August 2026, nearly three years after its suspension. The restart raises a wider question: could EL AL and Royal Air Maroc eventually return as well?
For now, only one point is confirmed: Arkia has actually resumed Marrakech operations. Neither EL AL nor Royal Air Maroc had announced an official restart date at the time of the French source article.
Arkia has resumed Tel Aviv–Marrakech
Arkia announced in July that it would return to Morocco from August 24, 2026, with two nonstop flights a week between Tel Aviv and Marrakech operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. Flights were subsequently operated in late August and early September, confirming that the restart was not merely scheduled.
EL AL still lists Morocco commercially
EL AL continues to display commercial pages for Marrakech–Tel Aviv and Casablanca–Tel Aviv. However, no usable availability was showing for the following months when checked for the source article. Keeping routes in a booking system does not constitute a restart announcement; an official schedule or date is still required.
Royal Air Maroc also retains Tel Aviv pages
Royal Air Maroc likewise keeps booking pages for Tel Aviv from Casablanca, Marrakech and Rabat. Searches in September 2026 did not display fares on those routes. The Moroccan carrier had launched Casablanca–Tel Aviv following the diplomatic rapprochement between Morocco and Israel before the deterioration in the security environment led to suspension.
A strategically important market
The market combines tourism, family travel, business links and a large Israeli community of Moroccan origin. Marrakech and Casablanca are the natural principal gateways on the Moroccan side, while Tel Aviv remains the centre of Israeli traffic.
Arkia’s return demonstrates that a gradual restart is operationally possible when security and operating conditions permit. It could provide a real-world test before any return by other carriers.
Caution over EL AL and RAM
No official announcement at the time of the source article established that EL AL would soon resume Morocco flights or that Royal Air Maroc would return to Tel Aviv on a specific date. Their still-active commercial pages show continued market presence in their systems, but not confirmed operations.
Arkia therefore remains the clearest signal. Its return to Marrakech is the first visible step towards a possible gradual recovery in Israel–Morocco air traffic.
Main sources
Arkia / Times of Israel on the August 24, 2026 restart; Royal Air Maroc and EL AL commercial pages checked in September 2026; Avionio recent Arkia Marrakech–Tel Aviv flight history.
Related: Morocco–Israel: direct flights could resume within weeks, the broader route-restoration story behind Arkia’s return.
Leave a Reply