Rabat – Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has triggered a storm of criticism from social media users in Morocco after its cabin crew appeared in pictures and videos, participating in the marriage anniversary of a Moroccan influencer onboard a flight between Casablanca and Miami.
Social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, were flooded with remarks and criticism directed towards both Royal Air Maroc and Sonia Ngadi, an influencer boasting at least 910,000 followers.
Many of the influencer’s followers expressed frustration, highlighting the perceived disregard for passengers’ safety during the flight. Critics also questioned the professionalism of the cabin crew and accused them of abandoning their responsibilities to join in the celebration.
The use of candles during the flight also drew sharp criticism, with social media users citing safety concerns.
“Isn’t it forbidden to light a fire? Aren’t there smoke detectors on the plane,” one follower wrote.
In response to the backlash, the influencer defended herself by claiming that the candles used in the celebration were artificial. She further added that she is aware it is forbidden to light a fire onboard an aircraft.
Her explanation failed to quell the growing skepticism among social media users, some of whom remained unconvinced and insisted that the candles appeared to be real in the circulated images and videos.
Other skeptical followers responded to the influencer’s claims saying: “not sure about that. They added that the incident has stated “creating noise inside RAM since a lot of customers made claims about that because it’s related to their/our safety onboard.”
Another user added, “These are not artificial candles, it is clear.”
Royal Air Maroc Guidelines
According to RAM’s general conditions and terms, any flammable products are illegal to be carried within flights.
The items susceptible to constitute a danger for the aircraft and passengers include explosives, compressed gases, corrosives, oxidants, radioactive or magnetic products in addition to flammable products, and toxic, nauseating as well as dangerous or irritating materials.
To this date, Royal Air Maroc has issued no official statements commenting on the criticism. It remains to be seen whether the airline will issue any press releases to confirm whether the candles used were artificial or real.
