The Ministry of Tourism clarifies regarding Ryanair flights
The Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, Social and Solidarity Economy confirmed that no financial support or assistance was granted to Ryanair to operate domestic flights in Morocco, according to some questions circulated by some media outlets.
The Ministry stated in an explanatory statement regarding concerns related to financial support granted to (Ryanair) by the Moroccan National Tourism Office to operate domestic flights, that “no financial support or financial assistance was granted to Ryanair to operate domestic flights in Morocco, which is a commitment made.” “It has been proven from the beginning and will remain the same.”
Regarding the point related to “the direct competition represented by the partnership with Ryanair for Royal Air Maroc,” the Ministry stressed that “the goal of this partnership, as is the case for all air partnerships, is integration,” highlighting that Ryanair’s flights do not overlap with those of the Royal Air Maroc airline. For national carriers, which contributes to enhancing air connectivity, including connectivity between regions.
She added that the flights provided by Ryanair (such as Tangier-Essaouira, Oujda-Marrakesh, and Fez-Agadir) contribute to strengthening connectivity between Moroccan regions, promoting domestic tourism, and enabling foreign tourists to extend their stays by visiting areas that were previously difficult to reach, until now.
Regarding the offer to pay in foreign currency for its domestic flights, despite the commitment to provide its services using dirhams to Moroccan citizens, the ministry indicated that “Ryan Air and its teams are working seriously to resolve the issue of transactions that are deducted from the share allocated for tourism.”
On the other hand, the Ministry stated that the latest tourism figures in Morocco, including achieving a record number of 14.5 million tourists in 2023, show the exceptional potential of the Moroccan destination.
These numbers also confirm the necessity of enhancing air transport capacity to achieve the ambitious goals of the tourism road map and upcoming sporting events such as the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, highlighting that the real challenge at present is development and not avoiding competition.
The Ministry noted that Morocco must rely on national airlines, as well as on international companies, noting that the ambitious program contract that the government signed with Royal Air Maroc, which aims to raise its fleet to 200 aircraft by the year 2037, will provide it with unprecedented means for expansion. And development.