Ryanair to Bolster Flights To, From Morocco in 2023

Rabat – Ryanair has announced its most extensive winter schedule for flights to and from Morocco for the 2023/2024 season.

The Irish low-cost carrier’s winter plan includes over 840 weekly flights, a 20% annual increase, Ireland’s Travel Trade Network quoted a statement from the company as saying.

The plan covers 126 routes connecting to 10 Moroccan airports. The expansion includes the introduction of 10 new routes connecting Moroccan destinations with Barcelona, Bordeaux, Cologne, Girona, Dusseldorf, London, Madrid, Stockholm, Strasbourg, and Wroclaw, among others.

In addition, more than 50 existing routes will experience increased frequency. To accommodate the growth, Ryanair is setting up a new base for an additional Boeing 737 Gamechanger in Marrakech.

The addition brings Ryanair’s total fleet in Morocco to 12 aircraft, representing a substantial $1.2 billion investment. The expansion will create more than 30 new well-paying jobs for pilots, cabin crew, and engineers in the Marrakech area, the company said.

The addition of the Boeing 737 Gamechanger marks a significant leap towards environmental sustainability, as these aircraft are highly sought after for their reduced CO2 emissions by 16% and noise emissions by 40%, Ryanair added.

Speaking from Marrakech, Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson expressed his enthusiasm for this significant investment in Morocco, highlighting the airline’s partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco and its commitment to the region’s continued growth.

“The launch of our largest-ever Moroccan program will offer more than 840 weekly flights on 126 routes, including connections to key markets in Europe, such as Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Eastern Europe, and the United Kingdom,” he said.

He added that the “record-breaking program” will not only allow Ryanair to increase its Moroccan winter traffic by more than 20% but also add 10 new routes and an additional Marrakech-based aircraft.

The Ryanair executive revealed that the company is investing $100 million to implement the plan and bring Ryanair’s total Morocco-based fleet to 12 (including 6 new ‘Gamechanger’ aircraft) – and create more than 30 new local jobs that will “provide additional support to the Marrakech-Safi region and its economy as it continues to recover from the devastating effects of the recent earthquake.”