RABAT, 26 July 2021, (TON): The first direct commercial flight between Israel and Morocco landed in Marrakesh, AFP correspondents said, more than seven months after the countries normalized diplomatic relations in a US-brokered deal.

About 100 passengers from Tel Aviv arrived on an Israir flight early afternoon to be met with dates, cakes and mint tea at a welcoming ceremony organized in their honor.

“I am originally from Marrakesh. I’ve come back here around 30 times but this time, the trip has a special flavor, it’s as if it were the first time.”

Israir spokeswoman Tali Leibovitz told that two to three flights per week were planned on the route.

Israeli national carrier El Al announced it too had launched a service to Marrakesh, and planned five flights per week there and to Casablanca.

According to an El Al statement “at a ceremony sending off the El Al flight attended by Moroccan envoy Abderrahim Beyyoudh, Israel’s Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said the service would boost “trade, tourism and economic cooperation between the countries.”

The El Al flight was expected in Marrakesh later in the afternoon.