Air Algérie Struggles to Compete with Royal Air Maroc in African Market

In order to compete with Royal Air Maroc, the leader in the African market, Air Algérie has multiplied the opening of new routes in recent years, particularly in Cameroon and Burkina Faso. In Douala, for example, the company has implemented an aggressive pricing policy to attract travelers, offering lower prices than its Moroccan competitor. Despite these efforts, success is not there. The load factor of flights remains low, forcing Air Algérie to reduce the frequency of its rotations.

According to a Cameroonian tourism professional interviewed by Maghreb Intelligence, this lack of enthusiasm would be due to an "image deficit" of Air Algérie in sub-Saharan Africa. Similar difficulties are observed in Ouagadougou, where the Algerian company is forced to cancel flights due to lack of passengers. Meanwhile, Royal Air Maroc continues to dominate the market, offering up to seven flights per week to Casablanca with modern aircraft such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The figures confirm this trend. According to the 2023 annual report of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Royal Air Maroc transported 5.6 million passengers, compared to 4.6 million for Air Algérie.