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Rabat – Morocco’s airports welcomed over 19 million passengers in the first nine months of 2023, a 3% increase compared to the same period in 2019 and an impressive 35% leap from 2022, according to data released by the National Airports Office (ONDA).
The surge in passenger numbers extends to all national airports. The standout performers include Tetouan with a staggering 459% increase in visitors, Essaouira with a 72% rise, Tangier with 44%, Nador with a 36% increase, Oujda with 31%, Fes-Saiss with 23%, and Agadir with 11% rise, ONDA detailed in a press release.
The statement added that not all airports managed to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels. Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport recorded a recovery rate of 84% compared to the same period in 2019, welcoming nearly 6.5 million passengers.
International airports across Morocco have equally recorded impressive results. In the first nine months of 2023, the country’s international airports welcomed 17.5 million passengers, a 6% increase compared to 2019 and an annual 37% rise.
This recovery in international traffic was mainly driven by air traffic from Europe, which accounted for 84% of international air traffic, with 14.7 million passengers passing through Moroccan airports in the first nine months of 2023, a growth rate of 13%.
Incoming visitors from North America rose by 6%, reaching 512,430 passengers at the end of September 2023.
At the end of September, several new air routes were introduced to Moroccan airports. The additional routes include flights from Marrakech to Luxembourg, Oujda to Montpellier, Fes to Weeze, Tangier to Palma de Mallorca, Essaouira to Madrid, and Guelmim to Lanzarote.
ONDA’s statement adds that Moroccan airports have strong expectations of breaking the historical record for annual passenger traffic, which was last achieved in 2019 with 25 million passengers.
Read Also: Moroccan Airports Exceeded Pre-Pandemic Air Traffic in January 2023
