THE PERSPECTIVE OF ROYAL AIR MAROC CEO

ABDELHAMID ADDOU

 

Mr. Abdelhamid Addou is the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Royal Air Maroc. Based in Casablanca, Royal Air Maroc (RAM) is the flag carrier of Morocco and majority government owned. Mr. Addou is a member of the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association. He previously headed Diana Holding and the Moroccan National Tourist Office. RAM operates an extensive domestic and regional network within Morocco and Africa together with services to Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

Tell us briefly about the history, mission, and vision of Royal Air Maroc.

Founded in 1957, Royal Air Maroc is the national airline of the kingdom of Morocco and plays a major role as the flagship carrier of the country. Royal Air Maroc became a member of the One World alliance as the 14th member in April 2020.

In June 2023, the Airline announced an important development plan with the goal of expanding its fleet by adding 200 aircrafts over the next decade, aiming to meet the increasing demand driven by the 2030 FIFA World Cup and strengthen its presence in the growing international market.

When did the airline launch Casablanca – Miami route and what factors were considered in choosing Miami as a hub for your U.S. operation?

Royal Air Maroc launched the Casablanca-Miami route on April 3, 2019, marking the first non-stop flight linking Florida with the African continent in under nine hours. Miami’s strategic location has made it an ideal hub, enhancing connections between Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

Miami serves as a dynamic platform for expanding Royal Air Maroc’s commercial operations across three key customer segments: tourism to Morocco, travel by the Moroccan and African diasporas (Visiting Friends and Relatives), and business travel.

Moreover, the city acts as a major gateway for travel to and from South America, the Caribbean, and Central America. Its strong economic ties with these regions make it a prime destination for both business and leisure travel. Also, Miami International Airport’s role as a significant cargo hub complements our objectives to broaden cargo operations across these continents.

The convergence of these commercial factors and business opportunities underscores Miami’s strategic value as a hub, affording us a distinct competitive advantage in the market.

Since the Casablanca – Miami route was launched, how has the response been?

Since its launch, the development of the route has followed the path we laid out in our business plan. Of course, the pandemic did cause a significant disruption, leading to a year-long suspension. Nevertheless, since we resumed operations in May 2022, the route’s key performance indicators have shown positive trends.

Royal Air Maroc now plays a key role in connecting Africa with the Americas market, what do you see as the future potential of this route?

It is evident that this route has substantial potential. Our domestic network in Morocco, along with regions in Africa, Southern Europe, and the Middle East, are pivotal to our strategy for this route.

The route’s success and ramp-up hinges on several key factors, including increasing our service capacity to Miami, continuous expansion of RAM’s international network, our robust presence within the trade network, and enhancing the awareness of the Royal Air Maroc brand.

Regarding network expansion, the recent launches of three new destinations—Abuja, Naples, and Manchester—underscore our ambitious strategy to enrich connectivity within our network, providing strategic routes like Miami with further momentum for commercial growth.

Other than Miami, which other U.S. destinations does Royal Air Maroc operate flights to?

Apart from Miami, we offer direct services to Casablanca departing from New York’s JFK Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. In the United States, our network is enhanced through strategic code-share partnerships with American Airlines, a key ally in the One World alliance, and JetBlue.

These partnerships significantly expand our domestic coverage, ensuring strong access across the USA.