New air routes from European airports to Marrakech were established at the end of last October with a view to further promoting the destination.
These new services are capable of developing the tourist offer of the Ochre City. Thus, the British low-cost airline "EasyJet" inaugurated an air route between Glasgow (Scotland) and Marrakech on 29 October. The British carrier now serves the Ochre City with two weekly frequencies, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. "EasyJet" already operates regular flights between Marrakech and other airports in the United Kingdom, including Bristol, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester.
With these two new connections, Marrakech is strengthening its air offer from the United Kingdom and improving its positioning in this market, which is considered a "priority" and which continues to record double-digit growth. The opening of this new route fits perfectly into the strategy of the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) intended to promote the British market, which is now Marrakech's third-largest source of clientele, given its enormous potential. The number of British tourists increased by 16% in 2013. Thus, arrivals totalled 144,467 compared to 119,711 in 2012, while overnight stays were 632,088 compared to 541,043 a year earlier. The Ochre City experiences a frequency of 51 weekly flights from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. The rise of the British source market is a boon for the Marrakech destination, as the purchasing power of the British is among the highest in Europe.
Furthermore, the air route between the Italian airport of Cuneo and Marrakech-Menara resumed on 28 October. This weekly flight, every Tuesday, is operated by the Belgian low-cost airline "Jetairfly". According to the "Stampa" website, flights will take place twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, during the months of December and January due to the end-of-year holidays. The same Belgian operator also began operating its new route connecting the French airport of Metz-Nancy Lorraine to Marrakech on 28 October. Scheduled every Friday, this flight is operated with a Boeing 737.
Still within the framework of efforts to expand air services, it has been learned that the French airport of Pau-Pyrénées (South-West) will be connected to Marrakech starting in October 2015. The French regional daily "La République des Pyrénées" reports, in this context, that the Emirati operator "Air Arabia" has reportedly been selected by the Pau-Béarn Chamber of Commerce and Industry for this new air link, which would offer two weekly rotations. The new service will operate all year round and will rely on an Airbus A320 with more than 150 seats, the same source specifies.
