Morocco Proposes Bill to Allow Airlines to Offer Vouchers Instead of Refunds for Pandemic Cancellations

The bill presented before a parliamentary committee is related to travel reservations, tourist stays and air transport canceled between March 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020 due to the health crisis. Adopted at the end of April by the government, the bill on substitute services, still has to be submitted to parliamentary approval. The objective is to save tourism operators and airlines from bankruptcy, by allowing them to offer an equivalent service, instead of a refund.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has indicated that global air traffic recorded in March 2020 the biggest drop in its recent history, with a 52.9% drop compared to the same period in 2019. A situation due to the closure of borders and the suspension of air links due to the covid-19 health crisis, which have weighed on passenger transport, hotel and travel agency activities.

Royal Air Maroc is experiencing serious cash flow difficulties due to refunds of canceled tickets, like other airlines. To this end, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) estimated at the end of April the reduction in the number of passengers in the sky to 1.5 billion due to the health crisis. Meanwhile, consumers are demanding respect for their rights. They mention a law that gives them the right to be refunded if the service provider does not fulfill its commitments. In addition, groups of tourists stranded abroad are mobilizing to file class actions against companies that are postponing bookings, to obtain refunds.