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| Founded | 1957 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), Casablanca | |||
| Focus cities | Ménara International Airport, Ibn Batouta International Airport | |||
| Frequent flyer program | Safar Flyer | |||
| Member lounge | Casablanca Lounge | |||
| Fleet size | 62 (+ 31 orders) | |||
| Destinations | 80 | |||
| Company slogan | "The wings of Morocco" | |||
| Parent company | Government of Morocco | |||
| Headquarters | Casablanca, Morocco | |||
| Key people | Driss Benhima (CEO since February 2006) | |||
| Website | http://www.royalairmaroc.com/ | |||
Royal Air Maroc (commonly called RAM, الخطوط الملكية المغربية Al-Khuṭūṭ al-Malakīyyah al-Maghribīyyah in Arabic) is the flag carrier airline of Morocco, headquartered on the grounds of Casablanca-Anfa Airport in Casablanca. It operates scheduled international flights from Morocco to Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America and a domestic and charter network, (including Hajj flights). Its base is Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), Casablanca.
Contents |
History
First days
The company was founded in 1953 as Compagnie Cherifienne des Transports Aeriens (CCTA). Junkers Ju-52 tri-engine aircraft started local services but these aircraft were soon replaced by DC-3s and Lockheed Constellations. The name Royal Air Maroc was adopted after independence and the company began flying international routes in 1957 from its main base in Casablanca.
The jet age
In 1960 RAM introduced its first jets: Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelles. These flew to European routes such as Paris and Madrid until the mid 1970s when they were phased out in favor of Boeing 727s. Simultaneously, Boeing 707s were being introduced for longer or higher capacity routes and Original Series 737s for smaller routes. By the end of the 1970s, Royal Air Maroc was flying to Europe, North America, the Middle East, and finally North Africa.
The 1980s
RAM continued to expand in the 1980s. New routes were opened and routes expanded, frequencies were increased and new aircraft were introduced. Boeing 757s were purchased in 1986 and eventually replaced the oldest 727s. The expansion of Casablanca Mohammed V airport in 1984 provided the company with a more modern base.
The 1990s
In the early days of the decade, the last of the 707s was removed from the fleet. Meanwhile, newer, more efficient, Classic 400 and 500 Series Boeing 737s were introduced to increase the frequency of European routes. By the middle of the decade all 727s had disappeared. To consolidate its North American operations, Royal Air Maroc purchased a single 747-400. As the decade progressed, new routes to previously under-served African airports were opened.
2000-present
With the increasing number of passengers and newly opened routes as well as increasing oil prices, there was a need to buy new aircraft. In 2000 an order for 20 Next Generation Boeing 737 aircraft and 4 Airbus A321s was placed. Meanwhile more routes to west and central African cities were opened.
RAM was now changing, from providing flights to meet the demands of foreign tourists and Moroccan expatriates, to providing connections between European cities and African cities via the Casablanca hub. In 2002, the company leased two 767s to replace the single 747 in North American routes and in 2004, the low-cost subsidiary, Atlas Blue, was set up with its main base in Marrakesh. Six Boeing 737-400s were transferred to it with the aim of providing tourists with a direct route to Moroccan resort towns. In 2005, the company ordered four Boeing 787s to replace the leased 767s and expand North American, Middle Eastern, and African routes. It was announced in May 2008 that RAM had transported a record-breaking 6.33 million passengers in the previous fiscal year, the year 2007[1].
In 2006 the airline banned staff from praying at their offices and in the corporate headquarters. The airline said that staff abused their prayer times. Islamist groups said that the airline was trying to stop religious freedom.[1]
The future
In late 2005 an Open-Sky agreement was signed between Morocco and the EU. This means that Royal Air Maroc will have to face tough competition from low cost carriers eager to exploit profitable routes between Western Europe and Morocco. A further challenge arises from the high cost of kerosene and the fact that the company may have to drop some of its unprofitable domestic and international routes. The construction of a third terminal and runway began at Mohammed V airport in late 2005.
Stakes and ownership
The Moroccan government owns 95.95% of the airline and Air France 2.86%. The government intends to partially privatise the airline through the sale of a 25% holding. Royal Air Maroc has 5,719 employees. Royal Air Maroc has a 99% holding in Atlas Blue and 51% in Air Senegal International[2][3], see below.
The subsidiaries of The Group Royal Air Maroc are:
Royal Air Maroc- Royal Air Maroc Express
Air Sénégal International- Atlas Blue
- Atlas Cargo
- Atlas Aérotechnic Industries
- Atlas Hospitality
- Atlas Handling
- RAM Academy
Air Gabon International
Air Mauritanie
Network
Base
RAM has its base at Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) near Casablanca. The company differentiates three types of flights: short- , medium- and long-haul. Short-haul flights are mainly national connections between the Moroccan airports and some flights to other North-African countries.
Medium-haul flights are operated between several Moroccan airports and destinations in Europe, Central Africa and the Middle-East.
The long-haul flights are the cross-Atlantic flights to Canada and the United States[4]
Destinations
Fleet
Royal Air Maroc (Atlas Blue and Royal Air Maroc Express) operate the following fleet (as of June 2009):[5]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers (First/Business/Eco) |
Routes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Air Maroc | |||||
| Airbus A321-200 | 4 | 0 | 185 (0/0/185) | Short and medium haul | |
| ATR 72 - 200 | 4 | 2 | 66 (0/0/66) | Short haul | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 1 | 0 | Cargo (0/0/0) | Short and medium haul | |
| Boeing 737-500 | 6 | 1 | 134 (0/0/134) | Short and medium haul | |
| Boeing 737-700W | 7 | 0 | 149 (0/12/137) | Short and medium haul | |
| Boeing 737-800W | 19 | 7 | 162 (0/14/148) | Short and medium haul | |
| Boeing 747-400 | 1 | 0 | 582 (12/36/534)-582 | Medium and long haul | |
| Boeing 757-200 | 2 | 0 | 179 (0/18/161) | Medium and long haul | |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 5 | 1 | 272 (0/32/240) | Medium and long haul | |
| Boeing 787-8 | 0 | 5 | ? (--/--/--) | Medium and long haul | |
| Sub-total | 42 | 15 | |||
| Atlas Blue | |||||
| Airbus A321-200 | 2 | 0 | 185 (0/0/185) | Short and medium haul | |
| Boeing 737-400 | 6 | 0 | 149 (0/0/149) | Short and medium haul | |
| Boeing 737-500 | 2 | 0 | 134 (0/0/134) | Short and medium haul | |
| Boeing 737-800 | 2 | 0 | 189 (0/0/189) | Short and medium haul | |
| Sub-total | 12 | 0 | |||
| Royal Air Maroc Express | |||||
| ATR 42-300 | 4 | 0 | 48 (0/0/48) | Domestic | |
| ATR 42-600 | 0 | 2 | 52 (0/0/52) | Domestic and SW Europe | |
| ATR 72-600 | 0 | 6 | 78 (0/0/78) | Domestic and Spain | |
| Beechcraft 1900D | 4 | 0 | 18 (0/0/18) | Domestic | |
| Sub-total | 8 | 8 | |||
| Total | 62 | 31 | |||
Royal Air Maroc has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
-
- Air Senegal International
Etihad Airways
Delta Air Lines
EgyptAir- Emirates
Iberia Airlines- Regional Air Lines [becomes Royal Air Maroc express]
Turkish Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Head office
Royal Air Maroc has its head office on the grounds of Casablanca-Anfa Airport in Casablanca.[6] In 2004 the airline announced that it would move its head office from Casablanca to the Province of Nouaceur, near Mohammed V International Airport. MAP, the official state news agency, said that the construction of the headquarters and a 500 room conference hotel would take 1 year and 6 months.[7] The agreement to build the head office in Nouaceur was signed in 2009.[8]
Incidents and accidents
Over the years RAM has been involved with several incidents. Major incidents involving fatalities and/or loss of airplane are:[9]
- 14 November 1958: A Douglas DC-3 was damaged during landing at Tangier airport. No injuries were reported but the fuselage was damaged beyond repair.
- 1 April 1970: a Sud Aviation Caravelle crashed on approach to Casablanca Mohammad V airport when it lost control at a height of about 500 feet. Sixty one of the 82 passengers and crew were killed.
- 21 August 1994: an ATR 42-300 operating Flight 630, the domestic Agadir-Casablanca route lost control at 16000 feet, entered a steep dive, and crashed into nearby mountains. Investigators suspect that the pilot deliberately disengaged the autopilot and directed the aircraft into the ground. All of the 44 passengers and crew members were killed.
- 26 January 2003: during a night-time landing at Angads Airport near Oujda the right wing of a Boeing 737 touched the ground some 20 meter left of the runway. The plane continued moving parallel tot the strip for several 100 meters. Official reports of the incidents are missing but the plane was removed from the national registers per September 16, 2003. No injuries.
- 20 April 2009: a Boeing 767-300 operating as Flight 200 (registration CN-RNT) from Casablanca encountered wake turbulence during approach into John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. This resulted in the aircraft making a very hard landing, and further inspections on the ground revealed cracks and wrinkles on the fuselage.[10][11] Rendered unflyable, RAM brought in Boeing and Delta engineers to repair the aircraft on site at JFK.[12]
References
- ^ Hamilton, Richard. "Moroccan airline bans prayer time." BBC. Monday 6 November 2006. Retrieved on 19 October 2009.
- ^ "Senegal retakes control of airline from Air Maroc". Reuters. 2007-10-31. http://africa.reuters.com/business/news/usnBAN137992.html. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ "Senegal government takes major stake in its flag carrier". AFP. 2007-10-31. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hreg4t-QA772_4lImKOniLAU_NFw. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ Route maps on company website, visited June 24, 2009
- ^ Royal Air Maroc Fleet
- ^ "Non-airline partners." Royal Air Maroc. Retrieved on 19 October 2009.
- ^ "Royal Air Maroc.(Africa/Middle East)(Brief Article)." Air Transport World. 1 July 2004. Retrieved on 19 October 2009.
- ^ "Casablanca: Nouaceur abritera le futur siège de la RAM." L'Économiste. 18 August 2009. Retrieved on 19 October 2009.
- ^ accident data from Aviation Safety website on RAM as on 29 June 2009
- ^ Additional details from: Aviation Herald on RAM flight 200
- ^ Photo of damaged B767 after incident.
- ^ "Four Months After Hard Landing at JFK, Crippled RAM 767 Nearly Repaired", NYCAviation, 2009-08-15. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
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