Morocco, Ryanair agree to launch 37 routes to European hubs

RABAT - Morocco's national tourism office (ONMT) and Ryanair signed Thursday a deal to launch 37 routes linking Moroccan tourist hubs to 45 European airports.

The new routes will serve 10 Moroccan airports and help Ryanair increase seat capacity to Morocco destination this summer to 2.07 million passengers, up 54% from 2019 before the pandemic.

“Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair, travelled personally to Rabat to sign a record partnership with Adel El Fakir, Managing Director of ONMT,” the office said in its Facebook post.

“A historic agreement between Ryanair and the ONMT which will allow a 54% increase in the company's air capacity to Morocco for the Summer 22 season (compared to 2019) and the establishment of 10 new air links between Morocco and Europe,” it added.

Last January, there were reports suggesting that Ryanair was planning to withdraw from Morocco's market in May following recurrent border closures during the last two years that have slammed the tourism sector.

Tourism generated $8 billion, or 7% of Morocco's economy, in 2019, when the country received 13 million tourists. In 2021, tourism revenue dropped to $3.5 billion.