Observing the prices of Royal Air Maroc (RAM) tickets in recent months, one senses a desire on the part of the airline to recover the ” losses suffered during the two years of health crisis, at the expense of Moroccans.
Indeed, for a few months already, the prices of RAM tickets have skyrocketed, without the company having improved its services, as several nationals but also Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) have noticed. .
Marwa T., a 2nd year master’s student in Paris, tells us that she took a Paris-Rabat return ticket last year for around 5,500 dirhams, while this year, for the same period, the flight cost nearly 7,500 dirhams. An increase described as phenomenal by this student.
» This price increase cannot continue. Our parents are already depriving themselves so that we can study abroad and realize our dreams, and now we are adding to them increases on flights. Incomprehensible and huge increases, especially since the service has not changed at all. The meals are still mediocre, as are the sanitary facilities.“, criticizes this student, who does not hide her anger.
This increase in RAM airfare prices during this summer season, which covers Eid al-Adha and summer holidays, has not only affected students. It is above all the large families residing abroad and wishing to return to their native country to find their loved ones who have expressed their dismay on social networks, calling for urgent intervention by the State to remedy this situation.
» We are a family of 7, with my husband and our five children. When we did the math, knowing that we wanted to book to return during Eid al-Adha two months in advance, the tickets alone will cost us no less than 52,000 dirhams, not including travel and holidays in Morocco, as well as the little gifts we give to our parents. This year, we either have to completely cancel our trip to Morocco or return empty-handed, which we don’t want“Says Salma H., a Moroccan residing in Lyon, France.
On social networks, the grumbling of MREs and students abroad is beginning to be felt. For Moroccans residing in the United States or Canada, it is simply impossible to return to the country. The price of a return flight would be around 30,000 dirhams.
» At that price, I could buy a ticket for 10,000 dirhams for Morocco, round trip, and spend the 20,000 dirhams there. Now I just don’t fit! Even my parents told me not to come. I prefer to go to Mexico. It’s next to Canada, it’s beautiful and it’s not expensive at all. It’s almost half the price including flight and hotel on an all inclusive basis. It’s much more attractive, isn’t it?“, says Reda K., a Moroccan student in Canada.
Faced with this discontent, RAM will probably have to make efforts if it wishes to maintain its place, especially since other airlines, which have also increased their prices but not as much as RAM, offer far cheaper tickets than our national company.
On this subject, the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohammed Abdeljalil, had stressed before the Commission for Infrastructure, Energy, Mines and the Environment in the House of Representatives that the request for a reduction in ticket prices on board RAM cannot be done to the detriment of its financial balance, given that it is a commercial company.
For his part, the general manager of Royal Air Maroc, Abdelhamid Addou, noted that 85% of the tickets were sold at reasonable prices and that the increase only concerned 15% of the tickets, and this because they were purchased at the peak of demand.
This system is applicable to all airlines in the world, he said.
It should be noted that the management of Royal Air Maroc considers that the prices of air tickets on the Moroccan market are subject to the rule of supply and demand, after the liberalization of the air transport market in 2006.
It also claims, and is taking steps to prevent prices from rising further during the peak period, by increasing its aircraft fleet.