Following in the footsteps of Israir and Arkia, El Al announced today (Thursday) that the launch of the Marrakech route to be operated by its Sun d’Or subsidiary, originally scheduled for November 16, has been canceled at least until December 15. "We are in ongoing contact with security officials and relevant authorities to obtain the necessary approvals," the company stated.
For customers who have already purchased tickets, the airline is offering a full monetary refund, a credit voucher for future use, or the option to switch their flight to another El Al or Sun d’Or destination in Europe at no additional cost or fare difference (applicable to dates within a three-day window before or after the original flight date).
As previously reported, Arkia announced yesterday that it was suspending ticket sales for the route until further notice, following a directive from Israeli security authorities. Arkia, which has been operating flights to Marrakech since last August, stated that it was evaluating the future of this route. Should Israel ultimately decide to halt flights by Israeli carriers to Morocco, the airline will explore other possibilities, such as operating flights through commercial partners or utilizing leased aircraft.
Israir reported three weeks ago that it was expanding its operations in Morocco, but last week, the plan was put on hold "following the incident on a flydubai flight and the new security directives issued in its wake."
The impasse preventing Israeli airlines from flying to Dubai persists. At this stage, the parties have yet to reach a solution that satisfies Israel’s security services and that will allow flights to the country.
Meanwhile, following its return to Israel last month with a Tel Aviv-New York route, US carrier United Airlines is set to expand its flight network to additional US destinations, starting next week. From October 26, the airline will operate four weekly flights from Tel Aviv to Chicago, and from October 28 it will also offer three weekly flights to Washington, D.C.
These new flights will complement the airline’s two daily flights to New York, which resumed on September 9 following a suspension that began during Operation Roaring Lion against Iran in February-March this year.
Looking ahead, the airline also plans to launch flights to San Francisco starting March 30, 2027. All of this is taking place against a backdrop of escalating security tensions, with reports suggesting that Israel and the US have formulated a plan for an attack on Iran.
Rival US carrier Delta also returned to Israel last month, while Israir began flights on the New York route for the first time. The number of airlines serving the New York route has thus grown from two to five; with this increased competition, prices are returning to more reasonable levels.
According to lastminute.co.il, the average price for November across the five airlines surveyed stands at $1,223, with Israir offering the lowest average price, $1,135, followed by United at $1,190, Arkia at $1,230, Delta at $1,265, and El Al at $1,295.
Looking ahead to the beginning of next year, prices are even expected to drop below $1,000, depending of course, on fuel prices.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 22, 2026.
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