People travelling between Casablanca and Essaouira will once again be able to fly directly between the two cities, with Royal Air Maroc restoring the route after a six-year suspension. The first flights are scheduled for Sunday, 1 November. The airline will operate two return flights a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, with the journey taking one hour and 20 minutes.
An economy-class ticket will cost 400 dirhams (£32) one way, or 800 dirhams for a return journey. A return ticket in business class will cost 1,600 dirhams.
The return of the route was officially announced on Wednesday, 28 October, at a ceremony in Essaouira attended by Transport and Logistics Minister Abdessamad Kayouh.
Wednesday flights will leave Casablanca at 16:00 and arrive in Essaouira at 17:20. The return service will depart at 18:00 and land in Casablanca at 19:20.
Sunday flights will take off from Casablanca at 08:20, reaching Essaouira at 09:40. The return flight will leave Essaouira at 10:20 and arrive in Casablanca at 11:40.
The timetable will allow passengers to spend four nights in Essaouira, travelling on Wednesday and returning on Sunday.
The fares are subsidised through a partnership between Royal Air Maroc, several government ministries and the regional authorities of Marrakech-Safi.
The Casablanca-Essaouira route first opened in September 2017, with three return flights a week and a one-way fare of 400 dirhams. It continued operating until March 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted air travel. The service was not restored when domestic flights gradually resumed in June that year.
The renewed connection is also expected to make international travel easier for people in Essaouira. Passengers will be able to connect through Casablanca to 86 international destinations served by Royal Air Maroc.
The airline’s domestic network will now cover 28 routes.
Tickets are available through Royal Air Maroc’s official website, its sales offices and partner travel agencies.
