Rabat – Israeli airline Arkia and Morocco’s Tourism Office (ONMT) signed on Friday an agreement covering the opening of a direct flight connecting Tel Aviv and Essaouira.
A statement from ONMT said that the flight will start operating in September.
“The signing of the strategic agreement concerns the development and strengthening of air connections between Morocco and Israel,” ONMT said, adding that the agreement reflects the major effort to promote Morocco as a destination on the Israeli market.
Through the flight opening Arkia wants to connect between the two destinations through offering 11,000 seats.
Commenting on the agreement, ONMT general director Adel El Fakir stressed that this partnership is part of the office’s efforts to promote Morocco’s destination among different markets, including Israel.
Arkia’s CEO Gad Tepper also stressed the importance of the agreement, extending thanks to king Mohammed VI for Morocco’s decision to re-establish ties with israel.
He also thanked ONMT for having made this connection possible.
In addition to the Tel-Aviv- Essaouira flight, the agreement also aims to double the capacity of the airline’s flights to Marrakech from the David Ben Gurion International airport.
Under the agreement, Arkia aims to make the flight serving 22,0000 seats.
The agreement comes as part of the determination of the two countries to boost bilateral ties and cooperation in different sectors, including tourism.
According to new data from the Moroccan Tourism Observatory, the number of Israeli tourists increased from around 15,600 in the first half of 2019 to over 38,000 over the same period in 2023.
The number represents an increase of 146% compared to 2019. It also signifies a 96% increase in arrivals in June compared to the same period in 2019.
