Royal Air Maroc against low cost: the CEO’s strategy unveiled

"The airlines of the GCC (Gulf, editor’s note) are much more oriented towards Asia. We are much stronger in the south and north, in Africa and Europe," said Abdelhamid Addou in an interview with CNN. According to him, RAM is facing strong competition from low-cost airlines. "Where it is difficult for us to compete is against low-cost airlines. We have more than 40 competitors in our country and we have therefore had to create a new model and a new market, and that is why we are succeeding today. I think we are succeeding thanks to this vision and the teams who have made a lot of effort to develop this new model," explains the CEO of RAM.

Wizz Air, EasyJet and Ryanair, which have phenomenal European resources, are among its major competitors. Nevertheless, the national airline knows how to compete with them. "First of all, we are developing a different market, that of Africa, rather than limiting ourselves to simple point-to-point transport. And even in this market, our product is different. We are not a low-cost airline. As soon as you take a step, as soon as you take a first step on our line, you feel the atmosphere of the country, its culture, and you live a different experience, and that is important for us," Addou rejoices. And to continue: "Our product is different, completely different. Our service teams are different. And that’s what makes the difference."

He believes that passengers are willing to pay more for a better experience than a low-cost airline. "I think there is a market for everyone. I think that, to relive the first experience of the country, the airline is the best way to start a good trip," assures the CEO of RAM, stressing that this is where the added value of his company lies. "We are geographically at the center and we can capitalize on this diaspora to transport it, in addition to tourism," he adds.

Addou also unveiled his company’s ambition, that of expanding its fleet. "When you transport someone from New York to Casablanca in a Dreamliner, and then from Casablanca to Lagos in a 737, the experience can be complex. We are going to start modernizing our 737s to equip them with fully flat Business class seats, which will allow us to maintain the same experience on long-haul and short-haul flights," he explains, also annoyed by the delivery delays of the aircraft by the main manufacturers. "When we have delivery delays of 15 to 18 months, we are frustrated. But we are all facing the same problem."