Mohammed V International Airport

Mohammed V International Airport Aéroport international Mohammed V مطار محمد الخامس الدولي
IATA: CMN ICAO: GMMN
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	ONDA
Serves	Casablanca, Morocco
Location	Nouasseur
Hub for	Air Arabia Maroc Royal Air Maroc Royal Air Maroc Express
Focus city for	Jetairfly
Elevation AMSL	656 ft / 200 m
Coordinates	33°22′02″N 007°35′23″W / 33.36722°N 7.58972°W / 33.36722; -7.58972Coordinates: 33°22′02″N 007°35′23″W / 33.36722°N 7.58972°W / 33.36722; -7.58972
Website	www.onda.ma
Map
CMN Location of airport in Morocco
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 17L/35R 3,720 12,205 Asphalt 17R/35L 3,720 12,205 Asphalt
Statistics (2009, 2010)
Aircraftmovements (2009) 69,119 Passengers (2015) 8,180,083[1] Freight (tons) (2009) 53,469 Economic & social impacts (2012) $731 million[2]
Source: DAFIF[3][4]

Mohammed V International Airport (French: Aéroport international Mohammed V, Arabic: مطار محمد الخامس الدولي‎‎, Matar Muhammad al-Khamis ad-Dowaly, IATA: CMN, ICAO: GMMN) is an international airport serving Casablanca, Morocco. Located in Nouaceur Province, it is operated by ONDA (National Airports Office). With just under 8 million passengers passing through the airport in 2014, it was the busiest airport in Morocco and the fourth busiest in Africa.^{[5][6][7][8][9]} In August 2014, ONDA reported a year-on-year increase of 7.28% passenger traffic, to 918,238.^[10] The airport serves as hub for Morocco's flag carrier Royal Air Maroc, Jetairfly, Air Arabia Maroc and RAM Express. It is named after King Mohammed V of Morocco.

History

1940s

Transatlantic routes from Casablanca, September 1945

The Casablanca Mohammed V Airport was originally built by the United States in early 1943 during World War II as an auxiliary airfield for Casablanca's Anfa Airport and was named Berrechid Airfield. The airfield handled diverse military traffic as a stopover en route to Port Lyautey Airfield, and to Marrakech Airport on the North African Cairo-Dakar route. In addition, it was the terminus of Mid-Atlantic route transatlantic flights via the Azores to Nova Scotia and airfields on the East Coast of the United States.

In addition to its transportation role, the airfield supported the North African Campaign with the Twelfth Air Force 68th Reconnaissance Group operating photo-reconnaissance versions of the P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang. Part of the 68th first arrived at Angads Airport in Oujda in November 1942 and moved to Berrechid in March 1943 upon its completion. It flew both antisubmarine missions over the Atlantic and photo-reconnaissance combat missions over German-held territory until early September when it moved east to Massicault Airfield in Tunisia. With the end of the war in 1945, the airfield was handed over to the civil government.

1950s

During the Cold War in the early and middle 1950s, the airfield was reopened as Nouasseur Air Base and was used as a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command staging area for B-47 Stratojet bombers pointed at the Soviet Union. These operations later moved to Ben Guerir Air Base.

With the destabilisation of French government in Morocco, and Moroccan independence in 1956, the government of Mohammed V wanted the US Air Force to pull its bases out of Morocco, insisting on such action after American intervention in Lebanon in 1958. The United States agreed to leave in December 1959, and was fully out of Morocco by 1963. The U.S. felt that, with the long range of the B-52 and completion of Spanish bases in 1959, the Moroccan bases were no longer important.

Even today, most locals still refer to the airport simply as "Nouaceur", which is the name of the province it is in.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

A Qatar Airways Airbus A330-200 on the airport ramp in 2011.

A Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-800 at the airport in 2006. The airline has its main hub at Mohammed V Airport.

Cargo

Traffic

Passenger services

Mohammed V is one of the six airports in Morocco where ONDA offers its special VIP service Salon Convives de Marque.^[16]

Ground transportation

A train service (from 04:00 to 23:00) is available every hour from Casablanca Port station to the Casablanca airport.^[17]

Many private shuttle companies and taxi serve Casablanca airport.

Car

• From Casablanca main access is by A7 Motorway;
• From Rabat by A3 Motorway through Tit Mellil and Road N9;
• From Beni Mellal by A8 Motorway;
• From Marrakech by A7 Motorway exit km 225;
• From El Jadida by A5 Motorway and A7 Motorway.^[18]

Incidents and accidents

• On 24 August 1994, a Royal Air Maroc ATR-42 crashed near Tizounine while en route from Agadir to Casablanca Mohammed V airport. The plane crashed with a steep dive in the Atlas mountains. All 40 passengers and 4 crew died in this accident. It is said that the captain disconnected the autopilot and let the plane crash deliberately. The Moroccan Pilots Union challenged these findings.^[19][20]
• On 1 April 1970, a Royal Air Maroc Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle crashed on approach to Casablanca Mohammed V airport when it lost control at a height of about 500 feet. The fuselage broke in two. Sixty one of the 82 passengers and crew were killed.^[20][21]

See also

• Transport in Morocco

References

External links

Media related to Mohammed V International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Mohammed V International Airport
• Moroccan Airports Authority
• Accident history for CMN at Aviation Safety Network
• Aeronautical chart for GMMN at SkyVector
• Current weather for GMMN at NOAA/NWS