Travel consultants said the return of Israeli airlines to Morocco is significant news for the tourism industry, and that the re-entry of a second carrier on the route restores competition, which will bring down airfares.

The 12-hour flight will be operated on an Airbus A330.

An estimated million Jews of Moroccan descent live in Israel; 200,000 Israelis flocked to Morocco in 2022, many on “roots trips.”

The move by Israel’s third-largest airline comes as Israeli flag carrier El Al is starting its own thrice-weekly service to Hanoi in October.

Over the last ten days, some 25,000 stranded Israelis returned to the country via land border crossings with Egypt and Jordan, while 31,000 people left Israel via the crossings, according to the Israeli Ministry of Interior.

The first repatriation flight carrying Israelis stranded abroad during the war with Iran landed Thursday at Ben-Gurion Airport after days of closed airspace.

The move comes as Israelis are flying to Thailand and Vietnam in record numbers amid a resurgence of the Israeli aviation sector.

Domestic tourism also continued to be a stabilizing force, with more than 13 million overnight stays by Israelis recorded in hotels nationwide by the end of the third quarter.

Greece remained the most popular international destination, welcoming 2.2 million Israeli travelers, followed by the United States with 1.6 million and the United Arab Emirates with 1.5 million.

The initiative follows nearly two years of high fares during the Gaza war, when Israeli airlines made record profits and were accused of price gouging as international competitors repeatedly suspended service to the Jewish state.

Almost 40 percent of Israelis said that they take antisemitic incidents into consideration when selecting a destination.

After weeks of wartime lockdown and sky-high stress, over 50,000 Israelis flooded Ben Gurion Airport in a frenzied return to travel.

According to an outline approved by security and transportation officials, only 50 passengers will be allowed on each departing plane due to ongoing security concerns.

While land crossings with Egypt and Jordan remain open, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) has issued a Level 4 travel warning for those countries.

The move has effectively severed Israel’s primary air connection to the world.

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic remains notably absent from returning carriers, having previously operated 14 weekly Tel Aviv-London flights.

United noted that it would resume additional flights to Israel based on demand.

Major European carriers, including Air France, British Airways, and the Lufthansa group, are expected to restart service next month.