Israel-Morocco Flights Face Security Uncertainty, Potential Cancellation
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
Direct flights from Israel to Morocco are at risk of cancellation due to unresolved security issues, a source confirmed. Israeli airlines have not received official notice, and no final decision has been made. The problems may stem from Shin Bet demands or local threats, with wet-leased foreign crews also a point of consideration. This follows a previous operational crisis in September that was resolved with high-level Israeli intervention.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Direct flights between Israel and Morocco face potential cancellation due to security concerns.
- The specific security issues remain unclear, with possibilities including Shin Bet demands or local threats.
- Israeli airlines have not yet received official notification of flight cancellations.
- The use of foreign crews via wet leasing is a factor, though not confirmed as the cause.
- This situation follows a previous operational crisis in September that was resolved by Israeli officials.
- Security issues are considered potentially more complex to resolve than previous operational problems.
Direct flights between Israel and Morocco are once again facing uncertainty, this time due to security concerns. A source familiar with the matter confirmed to HaYom that the continuation of these routes is at risk of cancellation if the emerging difficulties are not resolved. Israeli airlines have not yet received official notification of a halt in operations, and no final decision on canceling the flights has been made.
According to information obtained by HaYom, the issues relate to unresolved security aspects, though their specific nature remains unclear. Potential factors being examined include unfulfilled demands from the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) or local security threats in Morocco that necessitate a reassessment of flight operational conditions. It is currently undetermined what has led to this situation.
A characteristic of Israeli airlines operating flights to Morocco is the use of "wet leasing." Under this arrangement, an Israeli airline markets and sells tickets, but the flight is operated by a foreign company's aircraft and crew. This allows airlines to run routes without allocating their own planes and staff but raises questions about background checks for foreign crew members and required security measures.
This issue gains significance in light of the Flydubai incident, which highlighted security oversight of foreign flight crews on flights to Israel. Following that event, the Ministry of Transportation issued guidelines to foreign airlines regarding background and security checks for crews operating flights into Israeli airspace. However, there is currently no information confirming that wet leasing or the identity of foreign crews are the cause of the current difficulties on the Morocco routes.
This is not the first time flights to Morocco have encountered problems. The current concern arises just weeks after another crisis threatened direct flights to Morocco. In September, Israir temporarily suspended its operations to Marrakech due to difficulties in obtaining flight rights and necessary approvals from local authorities. That previous crisis led to a temporary halt, and flights only resumed after intervention from senior Israeli officials, including Minister of Transportation Miri Regev, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, and diplomatic and aviation figures.
However, unlike the previous crisis, which focused on operational and bureaucratic issues, the current concern involves security matters, which may prove more complex to resolve. Airlines have not yet received official instructions to cancel flights, making it premature to determine the impact on existing bookings.
