Summary
- Royal Air Maroc has signed a $300 million lease take care of Air Lease Corporation for five recent Boeing 737 aircraft, supporting the Moroccan carrier’s expansion plans.
- The deal includes 4 B737 MAX 8s and one B737-800, expected to be delivered in 2024, strengthening the partnership between the 2 corporations.
- Royal Air Maroc goals to modernize its fleet, increase capability, and reduce its carbon footprint with the addition of latest aircraft.
Los Angeles-based aircraft leasing firm Air Lease Corporation has signed a $300 million long-term lease contract with Royal Air Maroc (RAM) for five recent Boeing 737 family aircraft. The deal is an element of the Moroccan carrier’s plans so as to add as much as ten recent aircraft over the subsequent couple of years.
Five more narrowbodies next 12 months
Last month, RAM announced that it was preparing tenders to amass ten recent aircraft, including seven narrowbodies and three widebodies. All of those shall be acquired through lease agreements in step with the corporate’s financial performance.
Photo: Santi Rodriguez / Shutterstock
With single-aisle aircraft making up most of its fleet, RAM shall be seeking to expand its African and European offerings with the brand new 737s. This August, it is working its narrowbodies to about 75% of its destinations, with 2,490 flights from ten Moroccan airports. Its top narrowbody destinations include Paris Orly (ORY), Agadir (AGA), Abidjan (ABJ), Barcelona (BCN), and Tunis (TUN).
Ambitious fleet expansion plans
The North African air transport market has recovered to beyond pre-pandemic 2019 levels. In response to the exceptional demand for air travel, RAM is seeking to expand and offer additional capability to its regional and international destinations.
Last month, the Moroccan government announced plans to significantly enhance the national carrier’s fleet by acquiring as much as 150 recent aircraft over the subsequent 15 years. Its strategy will include phasing out older models to boost the passenger experience while reducing its carbon footprint. The take care of ALC will support the airline’s ambitious fleet expansion plans.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying
Within the announcement made by Air Lease Corporation, Royal Air Maroc Chief Executive Officer Abdelhamid Addou said;
“Through this agreement with esteemed partners as ALC, Royal Air Maroc will receive additional aircraft that can strengthen and modernize our operational fleet, enabling us to consistently enhance the standard of service for our customers while also reducing our carbon footprint in step with our environmental commitment.”
The addition of more aircraft also supports RAM’s long-term plans to make Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) certainly one of Africa’s fundamental hubs by significantly increasing the variety of inbound traffic. As such, the Moroccan government has set a goal of attracting as much as 65 million tourists by 2027.
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