Rabat – Morocco’s national carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) continues to extoll the benefits of the opening of the Casablanca-Beijing direct flight.
RAM inaugurated its first flight to the Chinese capital on January 16, taking off from Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport.
On Friday, January 17, CEO of the state-owned carrier, Hamid Addou, said that the Casablanca airport is a major axis that “should strengthen China’s connectivity to central and West Africa.”
Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca broke its record of annual attendance by crossing the 10 million passenger mark on December 26, 2019.
The RAM CEO argued that, in addition to tourism, the flight can also serve to boost trade between Morocco and China.
Addou recalled that China is the third largest trading partner for Morocco.
“This new route should satisfy a strong need expressed by the economic operators of both countries,” he announced.
Trade between the two countries increased to $5.44 billion in 2018, from 1.7 billion dollars in 2005, Chinese news outlet Xinhua reported in November 2019.
The RAM CEO also shared the company’s ambition to “engage more investments in order to meet the mobility needs of Morocco, and Chinese passengers.”
The Moroccan Ministry of Tourism forecasts the number of Chinese tourists to visit the North African country next year at 500,000.
About 350,000 Chinese tourists visited Morocco in 2019, more than five times the number in 2016.
Morocco and China are celebrating the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year.
Both countries are set to host special events in their capitals to celebrate their “multi-sectoral collaboration.”
