The fallout from the attempted attack on a flydubai flight has reached Morocco, with Israeli airline Israir announcing Tuesday that it is suspending ticket sales for all its Marrakech flights and freezing plans to expand service to the destination following new aviation security directives issued after the incident.
The airline had planned to increase its weekly flights to Marrakech from one to three and was negotiating to lease an additional aircraft to support the expansion. Both initiatives have now been put on hold pending final security instructions from the relevant authorities.
Israir
(Photo: Ronen Fefer / shutterstock)
In late July, Israir announced that it would resume direct flights to Marrakech following a prolonged suspension. The route reopened in early September with one weekly flight, operating on Tuesdays, with one-way fares starting at $299.
The airline subsequently announced plans to expand the route beginning in November, increasing service to three weekly flights on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, with one-way fares starting at $360.
Now, less than three weeks after announcing the expansion, Israir has reversed course. The airline said negotiations to lease the additional aircraft have been suspended and that ticket sales for Marrakech flights will not resume for the time being.
The decision comes about two weeks after the September 30 attempted attack aboard a flydubai flight bound for Israel, during which the co-pilot attempted to crash the aircraft. The incident raised serious questions about aviation security procedures and background checks for flight crews employed by foreign airlines.
In its aftermath, Israeli authorities began examining potential changes and stricter security requirements, including background checks for crew members arriving from countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.
However, Israir has not specified which of the new security directives prompted it to freeze the Marrakech expansion or whether the restrictions are connected to the additional aircraft it had intended to lease.
The airline has also not clarified what the suspension of ticket sales means for passengers who have already booked flights to Morocco. Its announcement did not indicate that existing flights had been canceled.
Israir said it is awaiting final security instructions from the relevant authorities and will continue operating in accordance with the directives of Israeli security agencies, placing the safety of passengers and flight crews first.