Ryanair expands horizons with new route to Rabat

Friday 24 January 2025 - 16:15

By: Dakir Madiha

Ryanair expands horizons with new route to Rabat

Ryanair has unveiled its ambitious summer 2025 schedule, announcing 123 flights, including a brand-new route connecting Dublin and Rabat, Morocco. This expansion highlights the airline’s growing focus on Morocco, catering to increasing international and domestic travel demand.

The route to Rabat is part of a broader expansion that includes enhanced connections to popular destinations such as Faro, Ibiza, Malta, Milan, and Valencia. This marks Ryanair’s first major growth at Dublin Airport since May 2024, following the Irish High Court’s suspension of a controversial traffic cap.

Eddie Wilson, Ryanair’s CEO, expressed enthusiasm for the expansion, stating, “We are pleased to announce growth for Dublin this summer, where we are adding one new based aircraft (34 total) and one new route to Rabat (123 total), as well as extra flights on 18 existing Ryanair routes to/from Dublin.”

The airline is heavily investing in its Dublin operations, introducing 14 new Boeing “Gamechanger” aircraft to its fleet, worth $3.4 billion. These next-generation planes are designed for increased environmental efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions by 16% and noise by 40%.

Wilson also praised Dublin Airport Authority’s reduced charges for next-gen aircraft, noting the airline’s commitment to greener operations. However, he urged the Irish government to eliminate the traffic cap entirely, warning that maintaining it would stagnate Dublin’s growth and harm Ireland’s tourism, jobs, and economy. He emphasized the potential for Ryanair to increase Ireland’s passenger traffic by 50%, reaching 30 million annually by 2030.

Morocco: A key market for Ryanair

Ryanair’s expansion into Morocco comes as the airline increasingly shifts its focus to competitive markets. In 2024, the airline reduced operations in Spain due to high airport fees, redirecting capacity to countries like Morocco, where travel demand is surging.

Over the past few years, Ryanair has significantly expanded its presence in Morocco, offering flights to cities such as Marrakesh, Agadir, Fez, Nador, Oujda, Tangier, and Essaouira. In 2023, the Moroccan government authorized Ryanair to operate domestic routes, making it the third airline to do so, alongside Royal Air Maroc and Air Arabia.

The Irish carrier has since introduced 11 domestic routes, connecting nine Moroccan cities, including Agadir, Essaouira, Fez, and Tetouan. Internationally, Ryanair has launched 24 new routes linking Morocco to European countries such as Germany, Spain, France, and the UK.

Supporting Morocco’s tourism goals

Ryanair’s growing network aligns with Morocco’s ambitious tourism goals. The country aims to attract 17.5 million visitors by 2026, a target supported by increased international and domestic flight connectivity.

By strengthening its operations in Morocco, Ryanair is poised to play a pivotal role in boosting the nation’s tourism industry while offering travelers more affordable options to explore Morocco’s rich cultural and historical heritage.