Operation Marhaba 2021: a state subsidy of 282 million USD for Royal Air Maroc
Morocco resumed international flights on 15 June. Since then, Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has been working on all fronts to satisfy passengers in the framework of the Marhaba 2021 operation - the return of Moroccans living outside the Kingdom (MRE) who come to spend the summer with their families.
RAM will benefit from a state subsidy of 2.5 billion dirhams (282 million USD) as part of the Marhaba 2021 operation. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday 22 June, the head of government Saad Dine El Otmani explained that this envelope aims to cover the difference in reduced prices for air tickets, currently applied by the airline to encourage more return travel in these exceptional circumstances brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Another 2 billion dirhams has been allocated to maritime transporters.
Organised every year from 15 June to 15 September, the Marhaba operation was cancelled last year due to the health crisis. In 2019, nearly three million Moroccans made this return to their roots. With the easing of travel restrictions in force since last week, RAM is banking heavily on this summer season to rebuild its financial health after a catastrophic 2020.
Last year, the carrier recorded a loss of 3.73 billion dinars (420 million USD). At the heart of the crisis, the government has announced a financial aid of 6 billion Moroccan dirhams (649 million dollars), 60% of which should be injected into the capital of the national company and the remaining 40% will take the form of state-guaranteed credits. At the same time, RAM has drawn up a restructuring plan which provides for the reduction of the workforce (nearly 900 workers), the reduction of the network as well as the sale of about twenty aircraft.
