CASABLANCA- Royal Air Maroc (AT) has ambitious expansion plans that are swiftly materializing as the airline has initiated a tender for new aircraft, aiming to increase its fleet size to nearly 200 planes by 2030.
The flag carrier of Morocco has rapidly become one of the largest carriers on the continent. The airline is expanding rapidly and announced late last year that it plans to expand its fleet to nearly 200 planes, up from the current 50 it operates.
Royal Air Maroc 200 Planes Order
Morocco’s tourism industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years, with arrivals of approximately 14.5 million visitors and anticipated growth reaching 17.5 million by 2026. The country is also preparing to co-host the 2030 World Cup, which will inevitably require robust international air transport links, an ambition the airline has already begun to fulfill.
Speaking to Reuters, the airline’s CEO Abdelhamid Addou confirmed the launch of a tender to grow its fleet: “The tender was launched on April 15.”
In July 2023, the Moroccan government and Royal Air Maroc announced a new partnership in which the country agreed to invest additional capital in the national airline to further its development plans. At the time, as reported by La Vie Éco, Addou explained the different aspects of the development plan:
“There are four aspects in this development plan. Firstly, the goal is to cover the national/domestic regions to connect the different cities of the country without necessarily connecting through Casablanca. Then, we will establish sufficient point-to-point touristic routes to allow both Moroccans worldwide and tourists to enter our country.
Finally, the goal is to develop Casablanca as a strong hub and connect different world populations via Casablanca. All of this aims, once again, to further develop this aviation sector and Royal Air Maroc.”
Quadruple Growth in Fleet
Addou also emphasized that a crucial aspect of the plan is to expand the fleet to meet the increasing demand. The order would primarily consist of medium-haul jets but also include short and long-haul airframes, as outlined in the first and second points of the plan.
“We expect to increase our fleet from 50 planes to 200 planes over the next few years to have the capacity needed to meet this demand and need. In terms of human resources, the means are already in place, and we will accelerate them to increase the pace of training and recruitment and to attract a maximum amount of talent that will support us in achieving this strategic vision and new ambition.”
The fleet expansion is anticipated to be finalized by 2037. In July, the CEO of the airline stated:
“Several companies will respond to the tender, such as Boeing and Airbus, of course, but others like Embraer or ATR. It’s up to them to submit the best offer.”
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