Morocco reinforces its development dynamic with a new airport strategy looking ahead to 2030

1. ‘Airports 2030’ 
2. The dynamics of the port sector, in figures 
3. Expansions to meet the challenges 
4. Digitalisation and passenger experience 

On 18 February, the director general of the National Airports Office (ONDA), Adel El Fakir, presented a very ambitious strategy that aims to renovate the infrastructure of Moroccan airports. 

The new strategy is based on three axes: the development of infrastructure, the improvement of the customer experience and the transformation of the National Airports Office itself.  

Following the roadmap set out by the Council of Ministers on 4 December 2024, the new strategy of the National Airports Office, dubbed ‘Airports 2030’, aims to keep pace with the country's development dynamics, as well as to prepare the air sector for the challenges of the next five years. 

In parallel with this, the Office will work on the expansion of the main airport centres, starting with Casablanca Mohammed V airport, in order to transform it into an intercontinental hub connecting Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. 

‘Airports 2030’ 

The strategy launched by ONDA aims to develop infrastructure, improving and digitalising services and transforming the Office from an institutional point of view. 

‘Airports 2030’ emphasises the customer experience, integrating the latest advances in digitalisation and innovation throughout the traveller's journey through the airport, from check-in to boarding. ONDA thus aims to turn its airports into truly connected living spaces, with movements streamlined thanks to creative technological solutions. 

‘From check-in to boarding, the customer journey will undergo a digital and human transformation already underway,’ said Adel El Fakir, CEO of ONDA, adding that ‘our airports will reflect an open, ambitious and welcoming Morocco, offering international standards and an experience enriched by our legendary hospitality’. 

To achieve these objectives, effective governance and efficient management are required, which will be achieved thanks to the profound institutional transformation that the office is undergoing, with a transition to a new legal status that will enable it to operate more effectively. 

In line with this, the Office is focusing on strengthening skills and modernising working methods through continuous training programmes, the integration of new experiences and the adoption of international best practices.  

The men and women of ONDA, as El Fakir emphasised, will be the key players in this modernisation, helping to make Moroccan airports a benchmark in terms of hospitality, management and services. ONDA intends to adopt a new visual identity that reflects Morocco's renewed ambition in terms of aviation and international connectivity. 

The dynamics of the port sector, in figures 

Adil El Fakir, CEO of ONDA, presented the latest figures demonstrating the dynamism of air transport in Morocco. 

In 2024, air traffic reached 32.7 million passengers, an increase of 5.6 million travellers compared to 2023, representing growth of 21%. 

The number of international flights increased by 20%, while domestic traffic increased by 30%. Traffic of aeroplanes travelling through Moroccan airspace also increased by 11%. 

Regarding movement at the different airports in Morocco, some platforms registered significant increases: 

• - Casablanca Mohammed V: 10.5 million passengers (+7%). 
• - Marrakech-Menara: 9.3 million (+34%). 
• - Agadir-Al Massira: 3.1 million (+36%). 
• - Tangier-Ibn Battouta: 2.4 million (+25%). 
• - Rabat-Salé: 1.7 million (+44%). 
• - Tétouan-Saniat R'mel: 352,000 (+39%). 
• - Dakhla: 309,000 (+32%). 

These figures confirm the need to adapt existing infrastructures to absorb this continuous growth and to be able to face the air mobility challenges in the run-up to the 2030 World Cup. 

Expansions to meet the challenges 

Through the ‘Airports 2030’ strategy, Morocco is preparing to meet the challenges of air transport over the next five years, in order to ensure its position as a key player on the international stage. This ambitious plan is part of the dynamic and preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

In this context, ONDA has identified three major challenges that will structure the investment and transformation efforts of the airline sector in the coming years: 

• The continuous growth of air traffic, which requires a rapid modernisation of infrastructures. 
• The expansion of the Royal Air Maroc (RAM) fleet, with a target of 107 aircraft in 2030 and 200 aircraft by 2037. 
• The organisation of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will require greater capacity to manage the flow of international visitors. 

To respond to these challenges, ONDA has presented an infrastructure development and expansion plan to double the capacity of Moroccan airports by 2030, with significant investments in Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Fez: 

• Casablanca: with a current capacity of 14 million and a traffic of 10.5 million passengers in 2024, Mohamed V airport will be saturated in 2027. The new planned capacity is 35 million by 2029. 
• Marrakech: with a current capacity of 8 million and traffic of 9.3 million in 2024, Menara airport is already saturated. The new planned capacity is 16 million by 2028. 
• Agadir: with a current capacity of 2.5 million and traffic of 3.1 million in 2024, Al Massira airport is also saturated. The new planned capacity is 7 million by 2028. 
• Tangier: with a current capacity of 2 million and a registered traffic of 2.4 million in 2024, Ibn Battouta airport is another that has already reached maximum capacity. The new planned capacity is 7 million by 2028. 
• Fez: with a current capacity of 2 million and traffic of 1.9 million in 2024, Saiss airport will be saturated throughout 2025. The new planned capacity will be 5 million by 2028. 
• Rabat: with a current capacity of 2 million and traffic in 2024 of 1.7 million, it is another of the airports that will be saturated throughout this year. The new planned capacity is 5 million by the end of 2025. 
• Tétouan: with a current capacity of 300,000 passengers and a registered traffic of 400,000 in 2024, Sania Ramel airport is also saturated. The planned new capacity is 1 million passengers by 2027. 

For Casablanca Mohammed V airport, plans are being made to build a new terminal designed as an international centre, a new runway and a new control tower, as well as establishing an interconnection with the Casablanca high-speed line.

In Marrakech, Agadir, Tangiers and Fez, ONDA intends to double and modernise the existing terminals, and build new terminals in Tangiers and Fez. 

Digitalisation and passenger experience 

The National Airports Office places innovation and digitalisation at the centre of its strategy to improve the customer experience at Moroccan airports through: 

• - The automation and streamlining of procedures thanks to the integration of biometric solutions to speed up the passage through security checks and the activation of 100% digitalised check-in and boarding systems. 
• - Smart, connected airports with modern, optimised spaces with interactive screens and mobile applications for real-time flight tracking, providing total passenger comfort.