Morocco Doubles Domestic Air Traffic, Expands International Connectivity

Domestic and international air connectivity is strengthening in Morocco. The agreements concluded between the State and the various regions of the country have allowed a positive recovery of domestic air traffic, from 1.3 million passengers in 2012 to 2.6 million passengers in 2023, particularly those focused on the Casablanca hub, said Mohammed Abdeljalil on Tuesday to the House of Advisors. He also recalled the signing in 2017 of partnership agreements between the company Air Arabia Maroc and certain regions. Last November, his department had authorized Ryanair to operate, for the IATA Summer 2024 season (April to March inclusive), 11 domestic air routes connecting 9 Moroccan airports.

Regarding international air connectivity, the minister announced that his department had authorized 52 airlines to operate 2,060 regular weekly flights connecting Morocco to 135 international airports in 52 countries this summer, an increase of 15% compared to the previous summer season. Since the signing of the Open Sky agreement in 2006 with the European Union, the Moroccan airspace has seen remarkable development which has considerably improved Morocco’s international connectivity, linking it today to more than 150 destinations instead of 90, and doubling the number of operators to reach more than 45 airlines, said Abdeljalil, adding that the new program contract signed between the government and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) is giving new impetus to the development of international connectivity.

The national airline aims to gradually increase its fleet to reach 200 aircraft by 2037, which will allow it to go from 99 destinations in 2019 to 143, thus becoming a global link between continents. In addition to the agreements with airlines, Morocco is initiating projects to develop airports. It emerges from Abdeljalil’s intervention that projects aimed at developing the airports of Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Tetouan, worth around 5 billion dirhams, will be launched, in order to support the development of passenger traffic in national airports.