Morocco modernizes its airports and Royal Air Maroc massively recruits pilots

Support for the vast extension and modernization program launched by the National Airports Office (ONDA), to strengthen the operational capacities of the main platforms of the kingdom, optimize baggage management and support the development of national air transport. Of the 9 billion dirhams that ONDA intends to mobilize, the African Development Bank (AfDB) will provide it with nearly 270 million euros, reports Challenge.

The investment program for the 2025-2030 period is estimated at nearly 38 billion dirhams. It will be devoted to the modernization and expansion of the main airports of the kingdom. In detail, 25 billion dirhams will be allocated to increasing the reception capacity, while 13 billion will be used for maintenance, infrastructure modernization and land acquisition.

Between 2026 and 2028, nearly 22 billion dirhams will be used to build new terminals at Casablanca Mohammed V and Tangier Ibn Battouta, as well as to renovate and expand the airports of Marrakech Menara, Agadir Al Massira and Fez-Saiss. This program is part of a comprehensive approach aimed at preparing Morocco to accommodate increasing air traffic during the 2030 World Cup, while consolidating its position as a regional hub. ONDA should generate revenue of more than 6.4 billion dirhams in 2026, before exceeding 7.5 billion in 2028, according to the report on public establishments and companies attached to the 2026 Finance Bill.

The airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM) also intends to support the overall national effort. It will have to receive about a hundred new aircraft by 2037. In this perspective, it plans to launch a large-scale recruitment campaign for experienced pilots: nearly a hundred pilots each year, to reach a workforce of more than a thousand pilots by 2037. It is calling on the services of the British company AeroProfessional, specialized in aeronautical recruitment.

In addition to the recruitment of pilots, RAM also plans to relaunch and modernize its pilot training academy, which has been in a state of lethargy since 2011. This will ensure the continuous upskilling of crews and support the deployment of the new fleet under the best conditions of safety and efficiency.