The Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdeslam Ouadih, announced on Monday the launch of a program worth nearly 28 billion dirhams as part of the “Airports 2030” vision.
In response to three questions regarding “Airport Rehabilitation” during a Q&A session in the House of Representatives, Ouadih explained that the program primarily involves the construction of a new airport in Casablanca, in line with royal directives, to serve as a link between Morocco and the rest of the world, particularly distant destinations.
In this regard, the minister highlighted that the airport will be connected to a high-speed train station, enabling travelers to commute between Marrakech and the airport in about 50 minutes, and between the airport and Tangier in approximately one and a half hours.
The government official added that the new Casablanca airport will serve as a hub for connecting Morocco with distant destinations that require more than eight hours of flight time, in the context of preparing to increase the Royal Air Maroc fleet from the current 50 to 100 aircraft by 2030.
In addition to the new project in Casablanca, the minister confirmed that other airports will also undergo expansions, such as the Rabat-Salé Airport, which will accommodate 4 million passengers, the Fez Airport, which will increase its capacity to 5 million, and the Sania Ramel Airport, which will reach a capacity of 2 million passengers, along with other airports.
Ouadih pointed out that in 2024, more than 34 million travelers passed through the airports, a number expected to rise to 80 million as part of the “Airports 2030” vision.
He noted that the vision focuses on expanding several airports, particularly the construction of a new modern airport at Mohammed V Airport, covering an area of 800 hectares, with contract works nearing final stages. He stated that this airport alone will have a capacity of 40 million passengers, in addition to other airports that will see their capacities doubled.
The minister added that these airports include cities that will host World Cup matches, such as Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Marrakech, and Agadir, clarifying that the expansion of these airports will not be limited to the host cities but will also include nearby cities, aiming to achieve economic development and socio-economic connectivity.
In a related context, Ouadih mentioned that several measures have been taken to facilitate the smooth passage of travelers to and from the airports, including the removal of the scanning machines, reducing the time from touchdown to exiting the airport to less than 25 minutes, and improving the conditions for entering the airports. Additional forthcoming facilities will include the adoption of electronic gates and the use of biometric passports.
The minister emphasized that all these achievements would not have been possible without direct cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, the General Directorate of National Security, the General Directorate of the Royal Gendarmerie, Customs, Civil Protection, and all stakeholders involved in facilitating transit through airports and making them more attractive.
