Rabat – A Royal Air Maroc (RAM) flight from Casablanca to New York was forced to return shortly after takeoff yesterday due to a technical malfunction.
Flight AT220 had to turn back less than 30 minutes into its journey when a crack appeared on the cockpit window.
According to Le360, passengers faced several hours of delay at the airport before being rebooked on another flight.
“The crack did not affect flight control. As a precautionary measure, the crew decided to return to Mohammed V Airport,” an informed source disclosed to Le360.
After a few hours of waiting, passengers were transferred to another Dreamliner of the same model provided by RAM.
“The damaged windshield was replaced, and the aircraft was returned to service on the same day,” added the same source.
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Although no injuries were reported in the latest incident involving Royal Air Maroc, the airline has faced a series of troubling events recently.
Last week, passengers on a RAM flight from Casablanca to Manchester were left stranded for days when a cockroach infestation was discovered in the aircraft’s cargo hold.
Strict health and safety protocols prevented airport staff from handling any of the luggage, forcing passengers to leave the airport without their belongings. As the delay extended, travelers were advised to return home and await further updates.
The infested plane was flown back to RAM’s hub at Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport, with all the passengers’ luggage still onboard.
Once in Casablanca, the infested luggage was removed, and the aircraft was prepared to resume its scheduled flights to destinations such as Abuja, Geneva, and Paris.
The incident has sparked backlash against Royal Air Maroc for its poor management of the situation, especially for failing to communicate clearly with passengers and for choosing to operate the infested aircraft without resolving the issue first.
