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Rabat – Moroccan airports have seen a substantial surge in air traffic during the first quarter of 2024, with traffic reaching 6.8 million passengers at the end of March, up 14% year-on-year.
According to reports from the National Airports Office (ONDA), the number of flights exceeded 51,000 during the first three months of 2024, marking an 11% annual increase.
ONDA attributes the rise in air traffic to the newly established air routes, increased flight frequencies, and consistently high aircraft occupancy rates, often surpassing 90% and occasionally hitting full capacity.
Detailing air traffic by airport, Marrakech airport stood out with an impressive 22% increase in traffic.
Other airports experiencing notable growth rates include Agadir with a 23% increase, Rabat-Sale with 32%, Dakhla with 19%, Essaouira with 38%, and Ouarzazate with 36%.
The influx of tourists has been particularly noticeable at Marrakech-Menara airport, where the surge in traffic has been fueled by a robust aircraft occupancy rate exceeding 90% and the introduction of 10 additional international and 4 domestic weekly frequencies.
Agadir-Al Massira airport equally saw significant growth in the number of arrivals, with the introduction of 13 new international air routes, resulting in a total of 19 new weekly flights.
ONDA forecasts a continued upward trajectory for Moroccan airports in 2024, with an anticipated total passenger traffic exceeding 30 million.
Marrakech airport is expected to lead the growth with a projected increase of 23%, followed closely by Agadir and Tangier airports at 22% and 13%, respectively.
Echoing the trend in commercial air travel, the cargo sector has seen a significant uptick, with the volume of transported goods growing by an annualized rate of 30%, totaling 23,802 tonnes.
Read Also: Moroccan Airports Exceeded Pre-Pandemic Air Traffic in January 2023
