Qiyouh: 88% of Flight Delays Linked to Departure Airports and a National Plan to Expand Airports in Preparation for the 2030 World Cup
The Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdel Samad Qiyouh, revealed that around 88% of flight delays experienced in March 2025 at airports in Casablanca, Marrakech, Tangier, Agadir, Rabat, Fes, Oujda, and Nador are attributed to issues involving departure airports. He confirmed that these delays are often caused by factors beyond the control of airlines, such as technical malfunctions or emergencies.
During a question-and-answer session at the House of Councillors, responding to a question from the Democratic Constitutional Social Group, Qiyouh pointed out that a significant cause affecting air traffic was a power outage that occurred in Spain and Portugal, leading to the cancellation of over 40 flights scheduled to and from the two countries. He noted that priority is currently being given to re-scheduling the interrupted flights and resuming operations smoothly.
The minister emphasized that the Ministry of Transport and Logistics is implementing projects aimed at reducing delays and improving travel experiences. These include the construction of a new runway and enhancing facilitative measures to ensure the smooth flow of passengers within airports, particularly by simplifying security and administrative processes, including passport stamping for transit passengers.
Qiyouh indicated that the "Airports Vision 2030" program will mark a critical turning point in air transport, with expectations to increase the national airport capacity from 40 to 80 million passengers annually through the expansion and modernization of seven major airports, as Morocco prepares to host matches for the 2030 World Cup.
The minister stressed that delays in the air transport sector are a common phenomenon globally; however, when certain cases get out of control, the ministry intervenes with exceptional solutions to address the situation and ensure service continuity.
