KUALA LUMPUR: Moroccan national carrier, Royal Air Maroc, is expected to join the ‘oneworld’ airline alliance in mid-2020.
The election of Royal Air Maroc was announced during the Oneworld year-end governing board meeting with chief executives of the alliance’s 13 current member airlines gathering in New York.
Royal Air Maroc’s regional subsidiary Royal Air Maroc Express will also be joining as a oneworld affiliate member.
Oneworld governing board chairman Alan Joyce said the alliance is pleased to welcome Royal Air Maroc, noting that Africa is the last major region where oneworld does not have a full member airline.
“The airline has one of the fastest predicted air travel growth rates over the next few decades. Royal Air Maroc will deliver greater value for more customers worldwide as we expand our alliance network to a new region,” he said in a statement today.
Royal Air Maroc will be oneworld’s first full member from Africa – the only continent, apart from Antarctica, where the alliance has, until now, had no full member.
Royal Air Maroc is one of Africa’s leading and fastest growing airlines as well as the largest unaligned carrier in Africa. Royal Air Maroc chief executive offiver Abdelhamid Addou said the airlines is excited and honoured to have been invited to become oneworld’s wings of Africa.
“We look forward to completing our flight on board speedily and smoothly so that we can offer the services and benefits of the world’s best airline alliance to our customers and across our own network as soon as possible,” he said.
Royal Air Maroc carried 7.3 million passengers last year on a fleet of 55 aircraft, with a network that currently connects its Casablanca base with 94 destinations in 49 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North and South America.
Its schedule today will add 34 new destinations and 21 countries to the oneworld map, taking the alliance’s network to 1,069 airports in 178 countries and territories.
oneworld chief executive officer Rob Gurney said the future oneworld would target as full members large airlines that have a significant presence in the alliance’s prime target market.
“Royal Air Maroc is growing into a truly global airline, with its home base Casablanca to be developed into Africa’s leading aviation gateway while also consolidating its place as Africa’s number one financial centre,” he said.
Malaysia Airlines Group chief executive officer Captain Izham Ismail said the airlines see this latest addition as the ideal match to extend connectivity to customers from within its network in Asia Pacific.
“This bodes well with Malaysia Airlines’ aspiration to strengthen partnerships with member airlines. We look forward to work closely with the team at Royal Air Maroc,” he said.