El Al has eliminated its routes to Dublin Airport (DUB) and Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK). Both routes, operated from Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) near Tel Aviv, have suffered from low travel demand due to Israel's war in the Gaza Strip. This announcement comes only a week after El Al suspended flights to O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg after an International Court of Justice ruling on the Gaza war.

An El Al spokesperson said about the flight cancellations:

"We continue to adjust the flight schedule according to demand. From the beginning of April 2024 and throughout the next summer season, we will not be resuming our routes to Dublin, Ireland, and Marrakech, Morocco, due to the current security situation and the significant drop in demand. This will allow the addition of hundreds of flights to destinations already offered and in demand."

The Routes

El Al launched seasonal nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and Dublin in March 2023. The route was scheduled to operate until November, but service ended prematurely shortly after the October 7 attacks. The carrier offered flights three times weekly using its Boeing 737-800 aircraft. One reason for introducing the service was Ireland's large Catholic community being interested in the religious attractions across Israel and Palestine. Another reason was that both cities have large tech industries, leading to strong demand among business travelers.

Vincent Harrison, Dublin Airport's managing director, said about the Tel Aviv-Dublin route in November 2022:

"The addition of this direct route will open up a new sun destination for Irish travelers and is likely to prove popular also with those seeking to make a pilgrimage journey to the Holy Land. The route will also come as good news to the ever-growing number of Israeli businesses that are present in Ireland. We look forward to the commencement of the new EL AL service from Dublin Airport [in March 2023]."

Direct flights between Morocco and Israel only became possible in 2020, when both countries established diplomatic relations during the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. The normalization deal included launching direct flights, which El Al did in July 2021. The airline offered up to five flights weekly between Tel Aviv and Marrakesh using its Boeing 737-900 fleet. El Al also flies between Tel Aviv and Casablanca, with Royal Air Maroc offering this route before suspending it due to the current war. 

Morocco's historic ties to Judaism are a major reason why Israelis are interested in visiting. The country had a large Jewish community for centuries before Israel's founding in 1948. Approximately 250,000 Moroccan Jews moved to Israel between 1948 and 1964, with only around 3,000 Jews currently living in Morocco. Aside from historical ties to Morocco among nearly one million Israelis, the country is known for its tourist attractions in cities like Marrakesh and Fes. El Al has not yet suspended its route to Casablanca.

Impact of the Gaza War on Travel Demand

Israel's diplomatic relations with Ireland and Morocco have worsened in recent months due to the war. Governments and people in these two countries have become more supportive of Palestine since Israel launched a war in Gaza after the Hamas attacks on October 7. The conflict has resulted in low demand for travel to Israel and Palestine. Furthermore, Israel warned its citizens against traveling to certain countries amid rising pro-Palestinian sentiment worldwide. 

El Al faces an uncertain future as the Gaza war has reduced travel demand significantly, and Israel has become more isolated diplomatically. The airline plans to expand service to more "friendly" countries like the U.S. in the coming months. El Al's new schedule includes the following route changes:

• Two new weekly flights to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) ahead of Passover, which starts on the evening of April 22
• Additional flights to Los Angeles (LAX) on Monday and Wednesday
• One more weekly flight to Boston (BOS)

Israel's aviation industry has been impacted significantly by the October 7 attacks and the resulting Gaza war. The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) found that passenger traffic at TLV declined by 78% and 71% in November and December, respectively. Many international carriers suspended flights to Israel in October and are slowly starting to resume service. Low passenger traffic has forced the IAA to place 600 airport employees on unpaid leave and reduce the duties for 1,000 more. El Al has maintained most of its routes during the war for various reasons, such as flying over 300,000 reservists to Israel for mandatory military service.