The first flight of this new route, launched by the company "Air Arabia Maroc" with the support of the Oriental Regional Council, took off from Nador-Al Aroui Airport towards Rabat-Salé Airport, in the presence of the Governor of Nador Province, Mr. Jamal Chaarani, the President of the Oriental Regional Council, Mr. Mohamed Bouarourou, and the General Manager of Air Arabia Maroc, Ms. Laila Mechbal.
The launch of this direct air route, which follows the inauguration of a similar line connecting Oujda-Angad and Rabat-Salé airports (January 9), is part of the efforts made to strengthen air transport between the cities of the Oriental region and other areas of the Kingdom, as well as to support economic and tourism development in the region.
Mr. Bouarourou emphasized that this new route, which comes as an implementation of two partnership agreements signed between the Oriental Regional Council, "Air Arabia Maroc", and the Wilaya of the Oriental region, with the aim of strengthening air connectivity for Oujda-Angad and Nador-Al Aroui airports with Rabat-Salé Airport, aims to contribute to enhancing the economic and tourism dynamics of the Nador and Driouch provinces, especially with the imminent opening of the massive "Nador West Med" port project.
The President of the Oriental Regional Council added, in a statement to the Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP), that the inauguration of this new route also falls within the Council's commitments related to the economic and tourism promotion of the region and strengthening its attractiveness, thereby contributing to achieving its socio-economic development.
He pointed out that the two agreements signed in this framework, which were approved by the Council during the ordinary session of October 2024, have been allocated an amount estimated at over 24 million and 300 thousand dirhams to support the launch of these two direct routes at preferential prices, for a period of three years, renewable.
Mr. Bouarourou considered that the launch of these two new routes will enable the strengthening of existing air routes connecting the Oriental region with the rest of Morocco's regions, in addition to the air routes supported by the Regional Council with Royal Air Maroc, which connect the airports of the Oriental region to Casablanca Airport.
He explained that this would enable the region to achieve and implement an ambitious strategy aimed at making it an attractive and open destination at both national and international levels, in response to the region's population, who often face difficulties in reaching the capital via currently available means of transport.
For her part, Ms. Mechbal expressed her happiness at the launch of the first air route connecting the cities of Nador and Rabat, highlighting that this route will contribute to reducing travel distance, encouraging tourism, and facilitating the movement of Moroccan and foreign passengers between the two cities.
She indicated that this route is operated via Airbus "A320" aircraft with a capacity of 174 seats, with an average of two flights per week during the winter season (Sunday and Wednesday), adding that the number of flights is expected to increase to three per week starting from next summer.
