The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has not yet granted the required national security clearance for flights to Morocco, despite the Transportation Ministry approving the resumption of the route, PassportNews has reported.
The resumption of the flight route was backed by a recent teleconference between Israeli and Moroccan civil aviation authorities.
A spokesperson for Israir Airlines confirmed that the company submitted a request to the Shin Bet several weeks ago to renew the Tel Aviv-Morocco route.
However, the carrier has not yet received formal approval, meaning the route cannot legally resume operations despite the Transportation Ministry’s public optimism.
The ministry noted that its meeting between the Israeli civil aviation authority and its Moroccan counterpart established a framework for reopening the route, but officials emphasized that “before the flights can return to schedule, security issues must be resolved.”
Israel-Morocco tourism pre-October 7
Prior to the war, Israeli airlines flew to both Marrakesh and Casablanca, and the Moroccan flag carrier Royal Air Maroc operated flights to Israel. The tourism business also reported large sales of holiday packages to Morocco.
The two countries normalized aviation ties following Morocco’s joining the Abraham Accords, including direct-flight arrangements outlined in December 2020.
For the tourism and aviation sectors, the missing clearance from Israel’s security apparatus means that announcements of resumed flights may be premature.
“Flights cannot resume until the security conditions are cleared,” said an industry source. “We may celebrate the meeting, but the clearance process is still ongoing.”