The Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohamed Abdeljalil, recently announced that the flight punctuality rate at all airports in the kingdom has now reached 75%, and this has a direct impact on European air traffic.
Thus, the Minister has proudly pointed out that the indicators of the airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM) for domestic transport show an punctuality rate of 86% over the period from November 2022 to June 2023, identical to that recorded in 2019 and above the world average.
Concerning the ” domestic flight cancellations“, the minister replied in response to the request to speak from adviser Khalihenna El Guerch of the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT) in the House of Councilors concerning the « delays and cancellations of domestic flights of Royal Air Maroc“, explaining that during the beginning of this summer season, no cancellations were registered, while only 2% of flights were canceled during the last winter season due to weather conditions or technical difficulties related to aircraft.
The Minister also drew attention to the importance of strengthening domestic air connectivity and improving the quality of services, including schedule compliance, which are two key objectives of the contract recently signed between the government and the RAM company.
In response to the adviser’s question, Mohamed Abdeljalil welcomed the recovery of air traffic after the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that more than 12.1 million passengers were welcomed in the first half of the year 2023, which represents an increase of 5% compared to 2019, of which 1,100,000 were recorded in domestic air transport.
The minister also highlighted the importance the government attaches to the domestic air transport sector, which has more than doubled in the past ten years through the joint efforts of the government and stakeholders.
Regarding the punctuality of flights, the Minister indicated that the global rate of adherence to schedules reaches 80%, which means that 2 out of 10 flights are late. However, he noted that this indicator has recorded a significant drop for European companies, reaching 70% in June 2023, against 80% at the start of the year.
Finally, the Minister in charge of Transport and Logistics attributed these delays mainly to the intensification of air traffic during the summer season, particularly in the European region, due to the congestion of airspaces at airports, as well as other disruptions such as strikes or labor problems in the sector.
The RAM looking ” at least 10 aircraft”
As part of its ambitious strategy to quadruple its fleet over the next fifteen years, RAM has announced its intention to launch tenders for the acquisition of seven Boeing single-aisle and three wide-body aircraft.
The company’s general manager, Abdelhamid Addou, revealed that preparations for calls for tenders (RFP) are underway to acquire at least ten Boeings, including seven 737 MAX 8s and three 787 Dreamliners. These aircraft will be leased from various companies, with an option to purchase at the end of the contract, with the aim of supporting the return to profits expected for the year 2027.
Currently, the Royal Air Maroc fleet includes two 737-8 aircraft (configured in 12+144), five 787-8 (18+256) and four 787-9 (26+276), in addition to thirty 737-800 (12+147) and one 767-300F. The company also operates four Embraer 190 (12-84) and six ATR 72-600 through its subsidiary Royal Air Maroc Express. It also uses wet leasing for certain Airbus A330s.
As part of its membership of the Oneworld alliance, Royal Air Maroc has undertaken to respect a new program contract covering the period 2023-2037. This contract provides in particular for a significant increase in its fleet, which will increase from 50 to 200 planes, in line with Morocco’s ambition to welcome 65 million visitors per year by this deadline. For the moment, no device is on its order book.