Air Arabia Maroc to Open First Marrakech Link

Air Arabia Maroc, the Casablanca-based low-cost joint venture of United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrier Air Arabia, is to launch a new route between Marrakech and Bergamo Orio Al Serio, supplementing its flights to the Italian airport from Casablanca. The budget carrier will introduce a weekly service from October 28, 2012 using an Airbus A320.

Three years after Air Arabia Maroc took off the skies, the airline continues to expand its operations by boosting links into Europe from the North African country. The airline made its debut in the Italian market in June 2009 and now offers flights from Casablanca to Bergamo, Bologna, Cuneo and Venice Treviso. This will be its first route to the city of Marrakech.

In 2011, an estimated 1.10 million O&D passengers flew between Morocco and Italy. Air Arabia Maroc currently has a 13.7 per cent share of this market. Air traffic demand has stabilised between the two countries over the past year after witnessing rapid growth by to 2010. However, O&D figures for the first five months of 2012 show a 30.3 per cent decline in O&D demand.

“Italy is amongst Air Arabia Maroc’s leading markets,” said Adel A Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia. “This new service will further strengthen our current flights to Italy by connecting Marrakech to Europe, offering customers wider choice of affordable air travel and at the same time contributing to Morocco’s tourism growth.”

Air Arabia Maroc’s new service will supplement the existing flights from Ryanair on the Marrakech – Bergamo route, while easyJet also serves the Milan market with flights between the Moroccan city and Milan Malpensa. The table below highlights the main operators between Morocco and Italy in 2011, a market that has become dominated by budget airlines.