Royal Air Maroc

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 flight and charter flight network, (including Hajj flights). Its base is Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), Casablanca.

As of November 2009 Royal Air Maroc merged Atlas Blue's website with RAM's, and all the fleet of Atlas Blue that was painted in "Royal Air Maroc Operated by Atlas Blue" is going to carry the name of Royal Air Maroc only. However all Atlas Blue flights will operate under the IATA code 8A.

History

First days

The company was founded in 1953 as Compagnie Cherifienne des Transports Aériens (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 Boeing 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. However, the airline has had difficulties coping with its rapid expansion and has acquired a reputation for delays and missed connections at its Casablanca hub.

Royal Air Maroc has the largest fleet of 737s in Africa (42), and is expected to be the first airline in Africa to operate the Boeing 787.

On 26 September 2010, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced it will extend its existing codeshare agreement with RAM, providing customers with access to more destinations in Morocco and West Africa.^[1]

The future

In late 2006 an Open Skies 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.

During the 4th Annual Moroccan American Coalition Convention that took place on October 10 and 11 2009 in Washington, Mr. Amine El Farissi, the U.S. General Manager of Royal Air Maroc, confrimed the start of the Casablanca-Washington direct flight. royal air maroc is expected to be the first airline to operate the boeing 787 in Africa with an order of 5 a/c.

The airline faces serious challenges with its customer service and overall reputation with a Skytrax 2 star ranking, which is given only to very poorly performing airlines (www.airlinequality.com)

Stakes and ownership

The airline is owned 95.95% by the Moroccan government, 2.86% by Air France and 0.95% by International Airlines Group. 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
• RAM Cargo
• Atlas Aérotechnic Industries
• Atlas Hospitality (Hotels)
• Atlas Catering Airlines Services
• RAM Academy

Destinations

Future

Confirmed new destinations

Planned destinations

Services to several new destinations are being considered by the Royal Air Maroc board, these include: Athens, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Beijing, Dubai, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo.

Base

RAM has its base at Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) near Casablanca. The company operates short-, medium- and long-haul flights:

• 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.
• Long-haul flights are the cross-Atlantic flights to Canada and the United States^[6] as well as Angola.

Codeshare agreements

Royal Air Maroc has codeshare agreements with the following airlines (as of June 2011):

Fleet

As of December 2011, the Royal Air Maroc fleet consists of the following aircraft, with an average fleet age of 10 years:^[7]

Head office

Royal Air Maroc has its head office on the grounds of Casablanca-Anfa Airport in Casablanca.^[8] 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.^[9] The agreement to build the head office in Nouaceur was signed in 2009.^[10]

Incidents and accidents

Major incidents involving fatalities and/or loss of airplane are:^[11]

• 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.
• 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.^[12][13] Rendered unflyable, RAM brought in Boeing and Delta engineers to repair the aircraft on site at JFK.^[14]
• 6 June 2010, a Boeing 737-400 of Royal Air Maroc struck several birds at Schiphol Airport. One of the engines was badly damaged and the plane had to return to the airport. Some witnesses stated the engine was burning. There were no injuries.

Gallery

References

External links

• Official website
• Royal Air Maroc Corporate (French)