Royal Air Maroc is temporarily stopping 12 international routes in Africa and Europe because fuel has become much more expensive, costs are rising and demand is weaker.
The move follows tensions in the Middle East that have disrupted energy supplies and pushed jet fuel prices sharply higher. In Europe, prices have more than doubled in recent weeks, going above $1,700 per tonne. Fuel usually makes up about 30% of an airline’s costs, so the increase is hitting hard.
To manage the pressure, the airline is cutting back flights and adjusting its network from different Moroccan airports.
From Casablanca, all six African routes are affected. Flights to Bangui, Brazzaville, Kinshasa, Douala, Yaoundé and Libreville are being suspended.
From Tangier, flights to Malaga and Barcelona are paused.
From Marrakech, services to Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseille and Brussels are also on hold.
This is not the first change this year. Earlier, the airline suspended flights to Doha and Dubai after airspace closures in the Middle East.
Airlines around the world are dealing with the same problem. Many are changing routes, increasing ticket prices or cutting flights to deal with higher fuel and insurance costs. Budget airlines like EasyJet and Ryanair have warned that these pressures could affect their profits this year.
The cuts are temporary. Royal Air Maroc will keep watching the situation and plans to bring the routes back when things improve. Passengers affected are being offered help and rebooking options.
