Moroccan Ministry of Tourism Clarifies Ryanair's Domestic Flights and Subsidies

Monday 08 April 2024 - 09:00

The Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social and Solidarity Economy has clarified that Ryanair has not received any subsidies or financial aid for its domestic flights in Morocco, in response to questions raised by certain media outlets.

Addressing concerns about any financial support granted to Ryanair by the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) for domestic flights, the ministry stated in a press release that "no subsidy or financial contribution has been granted to Ryanair to operate domestic flights in Morocco. This has been established from the outset and will remain unchanged."

Regarding the issue of "direct competition that the partnership with Ryanair would represent for Royal Air Maroc (RAM)," the ministry emphasized that "the objective of this partnership, as with all air partnerships, is complementarity," noting that Ryanair's flights do not overlap with those of national carriers, thus contributing to the horizontal development of connectivity and interconnection between regions.

The ministry further stated that the air links offered by Ryanair (such as Tanger-Essaouira, Oujda-Marrakech, Fes-Agadir) help strengthen interconnectivity between Moroccan regions, promote domestic tourism, and enable foreign tourists to extend their stays by discovering previously hard-to-reach regions.

On the matter of alleged requests for payment in euros for domestic flights despite the obligation to sell these flights in dirhams to Moroccan citizens, the ministry reported that "Ryanair and its teams are actively working to resolve the issue of transactions deducted from the tourist allowance."

Moreover, the ministry recalled that recent successes in Moroccan tourism, including the achievement of a record 14.5 million tourists in 2023, demonstrate the exceptional potential of the Moroccan destination. The ambitious goals of the roadmap and upcoming events such as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup make it imperative to maximize air capacities. The real challenge is one of development and not protectionism.

To achieve this, Morocco must rely on its national companies as well as the combined force of all international flagship and low-cost airlines. Finally, it is important to remember that the ambitious contract program signed by the government with RAM, aiming to increase its fleet to 200 aircraft by 2037, provides the company with considerable and unprecedented means for its expansion and development.