Morocco launches 3rd low cost Carrier

Washington. Apr 30, 09- After Jet4you and Atlas Blue, here's Air Arabia Morocco, whose first flights are scheduled for May 6th.

Morocco has its 3rd low-cost airline. Alongside Jet4you and Atlas Blue, newly born Air Arabia Morocco whose maiden flight on May 6 will be between Casablanca and London.
The company required an investment of $ 50 million: 51% owned by private Moroccan investors, with the remainder coming from institutions of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The new carrier will serve a number of destinations in Europe and North Africa. It is the result of an alliance between the Moroccan airline Regional Air and the parent company Air Arabia, based in the UAE. In addition, it has two Airbus A320 aircraft and will receive a 3rd of the same aircraft type in November 2009. The airline plans to acquire a fleet of 16 aircrafts by 2014.

Air Arabia Morocco "is not intended to compete with the RAM (Royal Air Maroc), which is solid" … "no fear for its future," said Moroccan Transport Minister Mr. Karim Ghellab.
“The Moroccan American community begs to differ with the Transportation Minister, because of the ongoing litany of complaints by U.S. based travelers about the state-controlled-airline, Royal Air Maroc.
With the new low cost carrier going to London, it would be interesting to see how travelers to morocco can combine a trip to the UK and a connection to Morocco and keep the price and the convenience factor attractive and avoid the aggravations of RAM all together” said a Moroccan American resident of Maryland.