Air Arabia Maroc Spreads Its Wings, Unveiling a New Aviation Hub in Rabat

In a move poised to reshape Morocco's aviation landscape, Air Arabia Maroc has officially inaugurated a new aviation base at Rabat-Salé Airport. This strategic expansion promises to bolster the airline's reach, fostering increased connectivity between the capital city and numerous international destinations.

The grand opening ceremony, graced by the presence of esteemed foreign diplomats, witnessed Fatim-Zahra Ammor, the Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social and Solidarity Economy, underscore the pivotal role this new aviation hub will play in linking Rabat to several European hubs, including Paris, Istanbul, and Brussels. Ammor emphasized the burgeoning tourism sector in Rabat, highlighting the indispensable nature of air links in the 2023-2026 tourism roadmap. Furthermore, she affirmed the ministry's commitment to collaborating with international airlines to achieve the ambitious goal of welcoming 17.5 million tourists by 2026.

Laila Mechbal, the General Director of Air Arabia Maroc, unveiled the airline's ambitious plans, which include launching 14 weekly international flights and bolstering the Rabat-Agadir domestic route with an additional three weekly flights, bringing the total to seven. Delving into the international flight schedule, Mechbal revealed that Air Arabia Maroc will operate five weekly flights to Paris, three to Barcelona, two to Brussels, two to Basel, and two to Istanbul.

Tayeb Meziane, the Head of the Operations Division at Rabat-Salé Airport, highlighted the airport's burgeoning dynamism, noting that during the first four months of 2024, it welcomed 484,890 passengers, marking a 35% increase compared to the same period in 2023. To accommodate this soaring air traffic, a new terminal is currently under construction at Rabat-Salé Airport, poised to equip the capital with a modern, state-of-the-art infrastructure boasting a capacity of 4 million passengers per year.

Rabat-Salé Airport currently hosts seven airlines: Royal Air Maroc, Air Arabia Maroc, Ryanair, Air France, Tui Fly Belgium, Transavia France, and EasyJet – operating 115 weekly frequencies and connecting the airport to 21 international air routes: Paris Orly, Madrid, Marseille, Brussels, Paris CDG, Charleroi, Montpellier, Barcelona, Basel, Istanbul, Malaga, Seville, Rome Ciampino, Paris-Beauvais, Toulouse, Düsseldorf Weeze, London Stansted, Nice, Lyon, Nantes, and Geneva. Additionally, it offers two domestic connections with Agadir and Errachidia.