Israel launches direct flight to Morocco

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli carriers on Sunday launched the first direct commercial flight between the Jewish state and Morocco since the countries normalised diplomatic relations in a US-brokered deal last year.About 100 passengers were on an Israir flight that departed from Tel Aviv to Marrakech, airline spokeswoman Tali Leibovitz told AFP, adding that two to three flights per week were planned on the route. National airline El Al later announced it had launched its service to Marrakech on Sunday, and planned five flights per week there and to Casablanca.

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," according to an El Al statement.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said last week that he would visit Morocco shortly after direct flights commenced.