According to Ryanair, the leading airline between Africa and Europe, it has unveiled its biggest-ever summer schedule to Morocco, representing a USD 1.4 billion investment
Low-cost European airline Ryanair has unveiled its biggest-ever summer schedule to Morocco, with 11 new domestic routes to improve connectivity and boost tourism.
According to a press statement issued by Ryanair, the leading airline between Africa and Europe, it has unveiled its biggest-ever summer schedule to Morocco, representing a USD 1.4 billion investment. This includes the introduction of 11 domestic routes to increase connectivity and support the development of tourism in Morocco.
In the statement, the airline adds that in summer 2024, it will expand its service to, from, and within Morocco by launching 35 new routes. It will operate over 1,100 weekly flights across a total of 175 routes. This record summer schedule will boost connectivity between Morocco and several new destinations and is expected to deliver over 5 million passengers, representing a 33 pc increase in traffic.
Eddie Wilson
The airline will also invest USD 200 million to place two new aircraft in Tangier, which is set to become its fourth base in the North African country. Ryanair stated that its investment in Morocco now represents over USD 1.4 billion in aircraft, supporting over 500 direct jobs in the aviation industry and thousands of other jobs in tourism. This delivers economic growth across 12 cities, including some of the Kingdom’s largest areas.
‘‘This is a historic day for the partnership between Ryanair and the Kingdom of Morocco. Ryanair is proud to unveil a USD 1.4bn major investment in Morocco for Summer ’24, which, with our biggest Summer schedule, delivers more than 5m passengers to/from and within the Kingdom of Morocco,’’ says Ryanair DAC Chief Executive Officer Eddie Wilson.
The carrier will have 14 aircraft based in Morocco, including seven in Marrakesh, three in Fez, two in Agadir, and two in Tangier. Wilson added that the new two-aircraft base in Tangier will create over 60 highly-paid aviation jobs in the city. The airline will begin flying to Barcelona, Geneva, and Brussels next year.
New domestic and international routes
With its service to Morocco, Ryanair is already one of the leading intercontinental airlines operating in Africa. According to to airline data analysis firm Cirium, Ryanair has 1,760 flights to Morocco, offering 337,791 seats this month. While only serving one country, it offers more seats between Europe and Africa than any other airline.
Ryanair benefits from Morocco’s open skies agreements with the EU, as well as partnerships with the country’s tourism board. Next summer, it will introduce 35 new routes, including 11 domestic services, to increase connectivity within the country ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Last month, Ryanair sought permission from the Moroccan government to launch domestic flights in the country in 2024. On December 13, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism Fatim-Zahra Ammor announced that, with the government’s approval, Ryanair would launch 11 new domestic routes, connecting nine cities within the Kingdom. The connections are as follows:
The domestic expansion aligns with the government’s efforts, together with the national carrier Royal Air Maroc and low-cost carrier Air Arabia Maroc, to boost inbound tourism. The carrier will also launch 24 new international routes. Ryanair will be operating flights to Beni Mellal and Errachidia for the first time in Summer 2024. According to the Minister, the airline plans to double its number of travelers to 10 million within the next three years.
