Irish airline Ryanair is set to double its annual traffic to and from Morocco, aiming to surpass 10 million passengers by 2027, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts.
“With the support of the Ministry of Transport and Logistics and the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts, and in collaboration with the Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT), airline company Ryanair is poised to reach a new stage of development in Morocco and aims to double its annual traffic in Morocco from the current 4.5 million to over 10 million passengers by 2027,” reported the Ministry in a press release.
The company’s plans for the summer of 2024 include the launch of 24 new international routes, the deployment of two dedicated aircraft based in Tangier, and the introduction of domestic routes connecting nine Moroccan cities: Agadir, Errachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan.
As part of this expansion, Ryanair will be authorized to operate specific domestic connections between Moroccan cities, in line with the country’s open sky policy, as noted by Minister of Transport and Logistics Mohammed Abdeljalil.
Ryanair will open 11 new intra-Moroccan routes in the summer of 2024, enhancing air connectivity within the Kingdom and invigorating the domestic air transport market. These developments are expected to contribute significantly to the economic growth of regions such as Ouarzazate, Essaouira, and Errachidia, while also stimulating tourism across all areas of Morocco.
These flights look to boost domestic tourism overall, as other destinations are expected to flourish in the coming seasons, notably Dakhla and Nador.
With the addition of 14 aircraft based in Morocco–including the new hub in Tangier along with Fès, Marrakech, and Agadir–Ryanair will expand its international network with 24 new air routes from 8 strategic source markets, namely Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom starting in the summer of 2024.
Six Moroccan destinations are involved, with nine new routes for Marrakech, eight for Tangier, three for Agadir, two for Beni Mellal, and a new circuit each for Fes and Rabat.
This network will result in a significant increase in the capacity offered to the Moroccan destinations, with 164 international routes and 11 domestic ones.
Thanks to the efforts of the ONMT in promoting the Moroccan destination as part of its “Light in Action” strategy, Ryanair will achieve a 33% growth in its overall capacity dedicated to Morocco.