Travelore News: El Al To Add Nine Additional Destinations, Several Int'l Airlines To Resume Ben-Gurion Flights

El Al will resume flights to Boston, London Luton, Tivat (Montenegro), Krakow (Poland), Marseille (France), Sofia (Bulgaria), Paphos (Cyprus), Rhodes, and Thessaloniki (both in Greece).

El Al will resume flights to nine additional destinations, the airline announced on its official social media.

The new destinations are Boston, London Luton, Tivat (Montenegro), Krakow (Poland), Marseille (France), Sofia (Bulgaria), Paphos (Cyprus), Rhodes, and Thessaloniki (both in Greece).

This will bring the total number of destinations El Al flies to approximately 40, the airline stated.

For other destinations, where flight operations have not yet been resumed, customers will be proactively contacted in order to check whether they still intend to fly, the airline stated.

Foreign airlines, including TUS, Etihad, to resume flights this week, IAI announces

Meanwhile, several foreign airlines will resume flight operations to and from Ben-Gurion Airport this week, the Israel Airports Authority announced/

Bulgarian charter airline ALK Airlines, also known by the flight code VBB, resumed flight operations on Sunday with a daily flight on behalf of Greek-registered, Israeli-owned airline Bluebird Airways.

TUS Airways, headquartered in Larnaca, Cyprus, will resume flights on Tuesday, IAI said.

Abu Dhabi's national flag carrier Etihad Airways and Ethiopian Airlines will resume operations on Wednesday.

China's Hainan Airlines will resume flights on Thursday, while Moscow-based Red Wings Airlines, Georgian Airways, and Moldova's FlyOne will resume flights on Friday.

Arrangements are taking place for additional airlines, including the low-cost FlyDubai, to resume flights this week.

"We are working very hard to expand air activity and return the aviation industry to full operations," Transportation Minister Miri Regev said.

"The return of foreign airlines will allow the Israeli public to fly to a wider variety of destinations, and we will continue to work to increase the supply of flights and the variety of destinations," she added.

"The return of foreign airlines reflects confidence in the Israeli aviation system and its ability to cope even in complex times," IAI Chairman Yiftach Ron Tal said.

https://www.jpost.com/author/james-genn

Travelore News: Israel And Morocco Set To Resume Direct Flights

Some 200,000 Israelis flocked to the North African country in 2022, many on “roots trips.”

The Jemaa el-Fnaa square and market place in the Medina quarter (Old City) of Marrakech, Morocco, Oct. 19, 2013. Photo by Boris Macek via Wikimedia Commons.

Jerusalem and Rabat are working to renew direct flights between their respective countries in the wake of last month’s ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli Transport Ministry said on Sunday.

The move highlights the resurgence of the Israeli aviation sector and the re-emergence of Tel Aviv as an international travel hub.

Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev has spoken with her Moroccan counterpart, Minister of Transport and Logistics Abdessamad Kayouh, and the two agreed to work toward the resumption of the flights, an Israeli Transport Ministry spokeswoman told JNS.

The flights on Israel’s national carrier El Al are expected to be restarted in the coming months.

Israel and Morocco, which for decades had maintained covert cooperation in the defense and intelligence sphere, formalized relations as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords that saw four Arab countries make peace with Israel under the first Trump administration.

Flights between the two countries were suspended two years ago after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.

After Oct. 7, the Israeli National Security Council advised against nonessential travel to Morocco, a travel warning that is now expected to be lowered, enabling the resumption of flights.

“Before the outbreak of the war, Morocco was a very popular destination for Israelis, and the flights were full,” Yoni Waxman, deputy chairman of Israel’s Ophir Tours, told JNS on Sunday. “Israeli passengers are thirsty to return and explore Morocco, and it is just a question of time until it happens.”

An estimated million Jews of Moroccan descent live in Israel (including Israel’s transport minister); 200,000 Israelis flocked to Morocco in 2022, many on “roots trips.”

“Israelis really love Morocco,” said Shirley Cohen Orkaby, vice president for marketing at Israel’s Eshet Tours, who recently visited the North African country and was warmly received. “I expect very high demand the moment flights open up.”

https://www.jns.org/

If Planning A Trip To Israel, Here Are The Airlines Currently Flying There.

If you are planning to fly to Israel, here is an up-to-date list of foreign airlines that fly to Israel.

Emirates airlines, Fly Dubai and Etihad continue to fly to Israel daily. From Europe, you can see Tarom, Hi-Sky, Fly One, Cyprus, Smartwings, Blue Bird, Tus Airways and other companies.

In addition, Ethiopian Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways, and a few other companies still operate direct flights to Israel. It is important to emphasize that information can change all the time and it is important to stay in constant contact with the airlines you are supposed to fly with.

The four Israeli airlines also continue to operate continuously, with El Al, Arkia and IsraAir operating direct flights to dozens of destinations around the world, and Air Haifa currently operates only on routes between Ben Gurion Airport and Larnaca.

Currently, most airlines from Europe, North America, Asia and Africa have postponed operations in Israel for the foreseeable future, and at this point, but hopefully we will soon see a massive return of airlines to Israel.