Flights in Morocco

Royal Air Maroc (RAM) operates domestic flights from its Casablanca hub to major cities nationwide, as does domestic rival Regional Air Lines. Between any other two points, however, you will usually have to change planes at Casablanca, unless both points are stops on a single Casa-bound flight (Dakhla to Agadir, for example). In gen­eral, flying is not really worthwhile except for long-distance routes such as to Laayoune or Dakhla in the Western Sahara, when they can save you a lot of time. A round trip from Casablanca to Laayoune (which costs less than the official one-way fare) would set you back 1700dh ($190) and take just over an hour and a half each way (plus journey time to the airport and check-in time), com­pared to nineteen hours by bus.  Flights in Morocco, such as a round trip from Casablanca to Dakhla, would take you three hours and fifteen min­utes each way by air compared to 28 hours by bus, for the same price. You can usually get a reduced fare if you buy three days in advance. If you’re very pressed for time, you might want to use the services between Casablanca and places like Agadir or even Oujda. On shorter routes, the speed of a flight is counterbalanced by factors such as the price, the time taken traveling between airports and town cen­ters, and the relative infrequency of flights compared to buses.

Information on Morocco’s airports, including daily departure lists for some of them, can be found on the website of the Office National des Aéroports at ®www.onda.org.ma. The airlines can also be contacted through their head office and reservation centers at Casablanca airport.  RAM also has a website at www.royalairmaroc.com. Remember you should confirm flights 72 hours before departure. Student and under-26 youth dis­counts may be available on RAM domestic flights, but only if the ticket is bought in advance from one of its offices.