Rabat - Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc (RAM) submitted an application to the US Department of Transportation on July 26 to launch a direct flight linking Miami and Casablanca.
Rabat – Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc (RAM) submitted an application to the US Department of Transportation on July 26 to launch a direct flight linking Miami and Casablanca.
According to a statement from RAM, the company requested permission to “enable it to engage in scheduled foreign air transportations, of persons, property and mail between Casablanca, Morocco (CMN) and Miami, FL (MIA).”
Morocco’s national carrier asked the US Department of Transportation to grant “the requested authority expeditiously to facilitate marketing and advance sales of RAM’s proposed Miami service.”
RAM wants to operate the flight for an initial period of two years, or more depending on what the department “may determine.”
The company presented the department with a set of arguments to convince it to approve its request.
The statement addressed to the US Department of Transportation added that the company serves local and international destinations, including Europe, Africa, North America, South America and the Middle East.
“It currently serves New York (JFK) pursuant to its foreign air carrier permit issued by order 1975-2-61 in Docket 26260, and it has served New York since 1975.”
RAM also recalled its 40 years of operating services linking Morocco with New York and Washington, D.C.
Pending approval, the company wants to launch its new service in April 2019 with a Boeing 787.
The new line, according to the statement, aims to expand RAM’s existing service between Morocco and the US and “would represent the first non-stop service between Miami and Casablanca, thereby providing significant new transportation options for passengers and shippers.”
The airline is currently facing a major crisis, leading the company to cancel more than 10 flights a day. Hundreds of pilots have been on strike since July 18 to demand a salary raise.
The pilots are also calling on RAM to offer better working conditions and more decent treatment, especially regarding retirement terms and health coverage.
Since the launch of the strike, the company has been losing an estimated MAD 20 million every day.
