Morocco # English board

More low-cost flights to Morocco
Ryanair inks five-year deal for flights to Morocco, bringing more rivalry on flights between Europe, North African country.
By Saad Guerraoui - LONDON
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Ryanair, Europe’s leading low fares airline, announced Thursday that it had signed a five-year agreement with the Moroccan government to fly to the North African country after six months of negotiations with Rabat.
The deal will allow the Irish carrier to develop low-cost air access and tourism to Morocco from Ryanair's bases throughout Europe, it said in a statement.
The agreement, which begins this month, covers most of the regional airports in Morocco and involves Ryanair’s commitment to establish up to 20 routes, carrying almost one million passengers per annum by the end of the five year period.
Ryanair’s Deputy Chief Executive, Michael Cawley said in a statement in Rabat: “We are delighted to make this joint announcement with the Government of Morocco. This represents a singularly important initiative in the development of tourism and business for the country. The Government has recognised that low cost air access is a growth vehicle for tourism throughout Europe and by joining the Open Skies regime and embracing Europe’s leading low fares airline, the Government in Morocco has made a clear statement about its intentions to develop its tourism industry in the next five years.
“Our low fares will also help expatriate Moroccans to see their families more often and facilitate local businesses in accessing markets with low fare routes including those already announced to both Frankfurt and Marseille.
“Ryanair will be making many more new route announcements in Morocco over the coming months and years as we build on the solid basis which this long term agreement provides. I congratulate the Government of Morocco on this initiative and look forward to working successfully with it to develop its tourism and other business.”
The announcement is good news for both expatriate Moroccans and the country’s tourism.
Ryanair, besides low-cost airlines easyjet and Atlas Blue, will bring increased competition on flights between Europe and Morocco, providing low cost access for hundreds of thousands of expatriate Moroccans and foreign tourists alike for business and leisure purposes.
The influx of low cost airlines is in line with Moroccan government’s ambitious “Vision-2010" strategy which is meant to attract 10 million tourists by 2010 in a bid to boost its tourism industry.
Ryanair's chief rival, British no-frills airline easyJet, is to launch its flights to the Moroccan holiday resort of Marrakech in July.
Morocco is an attractive tourist destination thanks to its mesmerizing cultural heritage and distinctive natural beauty, from snow-capped mountains to fascinating beaches to the desert’s huge golden sand dunes, as well as a hot climate all year round.

Someone may find something interesting here,
Almot

Times Online May 26, 2006
Daily Doc: cheap flights to Morocco
Doc Holiday opens his travel clinic on a daily basis to answer your holiday queries. Today: cheap flights to Morocco
Email the Doc with your travel queries

I notice that flights to southern Spain are much cheaper than those to Morocco. Do you know of any ferry services that run between the two countries, and is this a sensible option? Tim Anderson, Liverpool

Doc Holiday responds: Air fares from the UK to Morocco have been coming down a lot recently, so the difference between fares to Spain and fares to Morocco is getting less. For example, Atlas Blue (www.atlas-blue.com), which is a no frills part of Royal Air Maroc, has fares from Gatwick to Marrakech from £98. Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) starts flights from Gatwick to Marrakech on July 4, also from about £100. And the traditional carrier's fares have fallen too, with British Airways (0870 9508950, www.ba.com) flying to Agadir, Fez, Marrakech, and Casablanca, with fares from about £200. Or try Royal Air Maroc (020 7307 5800, www.royalairmaroc.com).


Costs aside though, crossing from Spain to Africa is a great way to begin a Moroccan adventure, and there are several companies that run sailings.

FRS (00 34 956 68 183, www.frs.es) sails to Tangier from Gibraltar, Algeciras (25 kilometres from Gibraltar), and Tarifa (46 kilometres from Gibraltar). Its 'InCat' is as fast catamaran style of vessel that sails from Tarifa to Tangier in just 35 minutes. Fares are from £35 return.


Alternatively, Euro Ferries (0034 956652324, www.euroferries.com) cross from Almeria to Nador; Algeciras to Ceuta; and Algeciras to Tangier. Or try Comarit Espana (www.comarit.com) or Ferri Maroc (book in Almeria on 00 34 9 50 274800, www.ferrimaroc.com).


Tangiers is an interesting place to holiday, but it also has good transport links south to Fez and Marrakech. An especially good way to get to Marrakech is by train, operated by the efficient state railways company. Entering Morocco via Ceuta or Nador is slightly more tricky, in that they are smaller towns with little tourist infrastructure and fewer transport links.

For more information, call the Moroccan National Tourist office on 020 7437 0073, or visit www.visitmorocco.com