All Israeli Flights to Morocco Suspended Following Shin Bet Request

Israeli airline Arkia announced on Wednesday that it is suspending its flight route to Marrakech, Morocco, at the request of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). This decision means all Israeli airlines have now halted ticket sales to Morocco, following similar announcements from El Al and Israir.

Arkia stated that the suspension of flights and ticket sales to Marrakech will remain in effect "until further notice." The airline is in contact with relevant authorities and security bodies to discuss the possibility of resuming operations and the implications for passengers who have already purchased tickets. Arkia is considering alternative solutions, such as operating flights through commercial partners, if Israeli authorities decide to halt flights to Marrakech. The suspension applies to new ticket sales, while the status of existing bookings remains undecided.

This is not the only route Arkia has canceled recently; the airline also called off its flights to Japan several days prior due to difficulties in obtaining permission from Japanese authorities to operate with a leased aircraft and crew under a wet lease agreement, a system Arkia currently uses for various international routes. Arkia had launched its flights to Morocco approximately two months ago.

Israir and El Al recently announced similar suspensions of flights and ticket sales to Morocco for the same reasons. Israir had previously planned to cancel its Morocco route in September due to "complex operational difficulties with Moroccan authorities" but had eventually secured the necessary permits. However, the airline was compelled to cancel these flights following the Shin Bet's request.

The Shin Bet's request to Israeli airlines comes after an incident involving a Flydubai flight from the UAE to Israel on September 30. According to accounts adopted by Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi, an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the Indian pilot during the flight's approach to Israel over Jordan, intending to crash the plane carrying over 170 Israeli passengers into Ben Gurion Airport.