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Morocco and Israel signed a US-brokered normalisation agreement in Rabat last December. Image Credit: AFP

Cairo: Morocco’s national carrier has said it decided to delay the launch of its first flight to Tel Aviv amid fears of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron.

The Royal Air Marco added that the first flight between Casablanca and Tel Aviv, originally scheduled for December 12, has been postponed until further notice due to the health situation. The service, the first of its kind between Morocco and Israel, will initially include three flights per week.

Last year, Morocco and Israel agreed to normalise their relations. Their ties have since grown.

The airline also said that starting from Monday, it had suspended all its flights to and from Morocco until December 13 due to a decision by Moroccan authorities.

On Monday, Morocco started halting all incoming international flights for two weeks, citing quick spread of the new COVID-19 strain. The move came a few days after Morocco banned entry of travellers from seven African countries over the emergence of Omicron.