In total, 16 agreements were concluded by Abderrahman Brahimidirector Morocco, Maghreb, Middle East et Asia has Royal Air Moroccoet Adil Khalloufirepresentative of the company in Chinewith consolidators and travel agencies specialized in the Morocco destination.
“We have signed contracts for long-term allocations in terms of seats on our direct flights Casablanca-Beijingwhich will allow us to strengthen our partnerships with the network of Chinese travel agencies and guarantee a good occupancy rate capable of strengthening the Casablanca-Beijing line”, indicated Mr. Brahimi in a statement to MAP.
This signing ceremony marks the conclusion of long discussions with our old and new Chinese partners, he welcomed, stressing that these partnerships demonstrate strong demand from the Chinese travelers for the destination Morocco.
Initially launched on January 16, 2020, the Casablanca-Beijing line was suspended a few weeks later due to the health crisis.
It will be reinstated from January 20, 2025, with three frequencies per week. Flights departing from Casablanca will be operated on Monday, Thursday and Saturday at 4:20 p.m. (local time) for landing the next day at Beijing International Airport at 11:55 a.m. (local time).
Departures from Beijing will be made on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 1:55 p.m. (local time) for an arrival in Casablanca at 8:10 p.m. (local time). The flights will be operated by “type” aircraft.Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner” with a capacity of 302 seats, including 26 in Business Class.
The re-establishment of this line is part of the RAM’s general strategic plan 2024-2037, aimed at facilitating, developing and enriching trade between Morocco and China, explained Mr. Brahimi.
In this sense, he affirmed that the airline National plans to gradually increase the frequency of its flights to Beijing, from three to seven weekly connections.
RAM also plans to extend its network to other Chinese metropolises, notably Shanghai et Guangzhoudestinations identified as potentially profitable for both passenger and freight transport, he added.
“The direct Casablanca-Beijing RAM air link concretizes the bilateral agreements concluded during the historic visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in China in 2016, which notably resulted in the exemption of visa for Chinese nationals traveling to Morocco”, noted Mr. Brahimi.
The Royal Visit in China marked a turning point in bilateral relations, giving rise to numerous exchanges of delegations between the two countries in the industrial, economic and cultural fields, he maintained, noting that direct service from the RAM to the capital Chinese is part of strengthening this dynamic, by offering a more practical alternative to flights transiting through European or Middle Eastern hubs.
A gala dinner was organized on this occasion, in the presence of representatives of theMoroccan embassy in Chinajournalists and Chinese and Moroccan personalities from various backgrounds.
Speaking at this event, the Moroccan ambassador to ChinaAbdelkader El Ansaristressed that the RAM’s Casablanca-Beijing direct line responds to a real need to support the dynamics of Sino-Moroccan bilateral relations, both in terms of economic and commercial exchanges and human exchanges.
The reestablishment of this line is also part of a broader strategy aimed at strengthening relations between China and the African continent, he argued.
He also highlighted the positioning of theCasablanca airport as a major hub between Asia,Europe and theNorth Americaon the one hand, and around forty African destinations, on the other.
This ambition is reinforced by the recent distinction of RAM, elected best airline inAfrica for the second consecutive year, thus strengthening its credibility on the international market, concluded the ambassador.
RAM representatives then presented the strategy and vision of the Moroccan airline regarding the prospects for tourism development between the two countries.
