Ryanair Drives Surge in Moroccan Airport Traffic, Boosting Domestic Flights

Last April, Tanger Ibn Battouta airport saw a 24% increase in the number of passengers compared to the same period last year. As for the number of passengers at Tetouan Saniat R’mel airport, it increased by 37% over the same period. This increase in air traffic in Tangier and Tetouan is part of the overall growth observed in all Moroccan airports in April 2024: they experienced a 30% increase in the number of passengers in April 2024 compared to April 2023, bringing the total number of passengers to 2.64 million.

This significant growth coincides with the arrival of Ryanair. Since March 31, the company, which operates domestic flights in Morocco at very attractive prices, has become the third airline to operate flights in Morocco, after the Moroccan company Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and the company Air Arabia Maroc. It plans to open 11 domestic routes in Morocco linking nine Moroccan destinations to Agadir, Errachidia, Essaouira, Fez, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Tangier and Tetouan this summer as part of the company’s flight program aimed at doubling its annual passengers in Morocco to reach more than 10 million passengers by 2027. Already, the Irish low-cost carrier has launched new flights between Marrakech, Tangier and Tetouan, thus offering passengers less expensive and more flexible travel options between these cities.

The establishment of a new air base at Tetouan airport, with the launch of new air routes to Barcelona, Malaga, Brussels and Madrid, has also contributed to this growth.