The Moroccan carrier Royal Air Maroc is already planning to resume its international connectivity to Canada, the airline announced today in a statement. After a two-month hiatus, Royal Air Maroc is ready to restart its route between Casablanca and Montreal. Let’s investigate further.
When will Royal Air Maroc come back to Montreal?
Earlier this week, Royal Air Maroc had to suspend all its flights to Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, following the government’s decision to halt connectivity with these European countries. It is uncertain when the carrier will resume its flights to these destinations.
Nevertheless, today Royal Air Maroc announced it will fly back to Canada, following a two-month hiatus. The airline had to stop flying to Canada, due to travel restrictions. On Saturday, August 28, Transport Canada announced that it would temporarily ban all direct flights from the Kingdom of Morocco due to a recent rise in positive COVID-19 tests detected in travelers arriving from the country.
Starting on October 29, Royal Air Maroc will resume its daily flight to Montreal.
In a statement, it said,
“From now on, the passengers will be able to board the direct flights that the national carrier operates, using its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.”
Royal Air Maroc said that the connection between Casablanca and Montreal is strategical for the company due to the immigrant community in Canada.
“Additionally, Casablanca is an important hub for a big percentage of the African community that flies across the continent. The resume of the flights between both destinations will allow us to respond to a strong demand.”
Lifting the NOTAM
On October 21, Transport Canada announced it would lift the travel restrictions with Morocco. The country will continue to take a risk-based and measured approach to reopen the border. Transport Canada stated,
“Based on the improved COVID-19 situation in Morocco, Transport Canada will lift the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that restricts direct flights to Canada from Morocco. To allow for the safe resumption of these flights, the following additional public health measures will be introduced.”
Beginning on October 29, fully vaccinated travelers and those unvaccinated travelers eligible to enter will be able to board direct flights. Nevertheless, they will still have to present proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular pre-departure test. This test has to be validated by the Moroccan government.
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How’s Royal Air Maroc’s recovery?
Royal Air Maroc has been the flag carrier of Morocco since 1957. Recently, it entered the oneworld alliance. It operates out of its hub at Casablanca Mohammed V International airport and flies to destinations in Africa, North America, and Europe.
The airline has a fleet of 63 aircraft, according to ch-aviation. It mainly operates with the Boeing 737-800 aircraft (it has 31 units). For long-haul flights, Royal Air Maroc has nine Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
In October, Royal Air Maroc scheduled 3,875 flights, according to Cirium’s database. Compared to its 2019 levels, the State carrier is still 34.7% below its pre-pandemic number of flights. In terms of capacity, it is 31.2% below, offering 589,046 seats compared to 856,032 two years ago.
Royal Air Maroc’s main route connects Casablanca with Paris Orly International Airport. It has four daily flights to the French capital. The second most important route is between Casablanca and Marrakech, a domestic flight with 105 frequencies during October.
Have you ever flown with Royal Air Maroc? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments.