Morocco Expands Air Fleet and Connectivity Ahead of 2030 World Cup

The government has signed a new program contract with Royal Air Maroc to strengthen the kingdom’s international connectivity. The airline is working to increase its fleet from 50 to 200 aircraft by 2037, said Mohamed Abdeljalil, Minister of Transport and Logistics, during an oral question session in the House of Representatives.

"Since the signing of the open skies agreement in 2006 with the European Union, the Moroccan airspace has experienced remarkable development that has significantly improved Morocco’s international connectivity, now linked to more than 150 destinations instead of 90, and doubled the number of operators to reach more than 45 airlines," added the government member.

Some airlines like Air Arabia Maroc have signed partnership agreements with certain regions, including the Casablanca region, to revive domestic flights, the official said, stating that domestic air traffic reached 2.6 million passengers in 2023, compared to 1.3 million in 2012. For its part, Ryanair will open 11 domestic flights to 9 destinations in the kingdom this summer.

Licenses have also been granted to 52 airlines that will operate 2,060 weekly scheduled flights to Morocco from 135 international airports, an increase of 15% compared to summer 2023, Abdeljalil said, recalling that expansion work on the airports of Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Tetouan will be carried out for an amount of around 5 billion dirhams.