Moroccan Airport and Airline Face Backlash Over Lost Luggage and Poor Service

"Bring me my luggage, it contains my medication, I’m going to die. Bring it to me now. Shame on you, I’ve been waiting here for four days. I paid for my ticket. Give me back my medication. I came from the United States to my country to live this experience... It’s unbearable," fumes a Moroccan passenger in one of the videos posted on social media and viewed by Morocco World News (MWN). This Moroccan citizen says he has lost his luggage for four days.

Some frustrated passengers have expressed their outrage. They describe Royal Air Maroc’s services as mediocre. Others have pointed the finger at the National Airports Office (ONDA). "ONDA must grow up, Casablanca airport is really mediocre, without charm, without comfort and poorly designed," tweeted an Internet user. Contacted by the MWN news site, a RAM service employee said she was "not aware of the videos." "We make no comment on this, because in fact I don’t know what you’re talking about, I haven’t seen the videos," she said, adding that the company was "doing everything necessary" to satisfy its customers.

A member of the ONDA call center staff pointed out that baggage handling is the responsibility of the airlines and not the airport. According to him, the request had to be addressed to the airline services, as they are responsible for their customers’ luggage. One of the Moroccan citizens who had a baggage problem said his personal effects were lost for five days. "The only way to get them back was to ask someone to go get them for me personally," he added.

Stéphanie Bermeo, on the other hand, had a "bad" experience and a "disappointing" adventure at Mohammed V airport. "If Morocco wants to continue to attract tourists, it cannot treat people this way at the airport," she said. She explains that she faced many difficulties at Casablanca airport on June 24, when she tried to print her ticket at the counter (including a fee of 660 dirhams for printing at the airport). "The [counter] woman refused to print the tickets, which made us miss our flight," she said, noting that she had used her phone to film the surreal refusal of the woman to print the passengers’ tickets without valid reason.

The repeated loss of luggage and the poor quality of escort services could harm Moroccan tourism. Knowing that Morocco intends to strengthen its tourism assets in order to attract 17.5 million tourists, generate 120 billion dirhams (12 billion dollars) in revenue and create 200,000 new jobs by 2026, but also host the 2030 World Cup.