Royal Air Maroc is getting a new Boeing 737 MAX 8, bringing its total fleet to 69 aircraft, including planes operated by RAM Express. The aircraft, registered CN-RHR, is the 18th Boeing 737 MAX 8 delivered to the airline. It will mainly be used on medium-haul routes to Europe, West Africa and the Middle East.
Oussama El Farisi, head of engineering at Royal Air Maroc, said: “Royal Air Maroc’s development plan calls for the integration of an average of 10 to 15 aircraft per year. Each aircraft undergoes a rigorous technical process to ensure compliance with international requirements as well as the airline’s own standards.”
The new aircraft also takes the number of single-aisle Boeing aircraft in the airline’s fleet to 45.
The 737 MAX 8 can fly up to 6,480km and usually carries between 162 and 178 passengers in a two-class layout.
Royal Air Maroc has an ambitious fleet expansion plan.
A programme contract signed with the Moroccan government in July 2023 set a target of increasing the fleet from around 50 aircraft in 2023 to 200 by 2037.
The airline also wants to carry 65 million passengers a year by 2037.
The plan includes expanding Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport as a major hub for flights between Africa, Europe and other parts of the world.
Royal Air Maroc has already added about 20 direct routes in recent months.
New destinations include Beijing, São Paulo, Los Angeles, St Petersburg, Manchester and N’Djamena.
The airline has also added routes to Alicante, Bilbao, Palma de Mallorca, Verona and Lille in Europe.
New services have also been launched to Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo, Tripoli, Beirut and N’Djamena.
Six more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
Royal Air Maroc is also leasing six new Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft from Aviation Capital Group.
The aircraft will help the airline increase its short- and medium-haul services while it waits for larger fleet additions expected from 2028.
Royal Air Maroc chief executive Abdelhamid Addou said: “The integration of these six new Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft represents a significant advancement in the ongoing modernisation and expansion of Royal Air Maroc’s fleet, allowing us to greatly strengthen our short and medium-haul network capabilities. These aircraft will support our ambition to become a leading global connector and enhance our ability to deliver resilient, high-performance connectivity to our customers, linking Africa and Europe to the wider global network.”
The airline is also looking at offers from Boeing, Airbus and Embraer for future aircraft purchases.
About 75% of the planned aircraft are expected to be narrow-body planes. The other 25% will be wide-body aircraft for longer international routes.
Preparing for more passengers
Royal Air Maroc’s expansion comes as Morocco prepares for more tourists and international travellers.
The country wants to attract 17.5 million visitors a year under its tourism strategy.
It will also co-host the 2030 Fifa World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
Casablanca will be important to this growth. The country’s airports authority, ONDA, has launched a tender for a new terminal at Mohammed V International Airport.
The project is expected to increase the airport’s capacity to 35 million passengers a year by 2029.
