Royal Air Maroc is set to launch a new route to London Stansted, marking its first operation at the airport. This service will be available only during the peak summer period, from June 24 to September 14, complementing the airline’s existing routes to London Heathrow and London Gatwick. The last time Casablanca was connected to Stansted was in 2009 when Air Arabia Maroc briefly operated the route.
The new route aims to increase Royal Air Maroc’s presence in the Casablanca-London market, which saw approximately 101,000 roundtrip passengers in the year leading up to November 2024. The flights will operate three times weekly using a two-class Boeing 737-800 with 159 seats. The schedule includes departures from Casablanca at 03:00 and arrivals at Stansted at 06:20 local time, with return flights leaving Stansted at 07:25 and arriving back in Casablanca at 10:45.
It remains uncertain whether this move is intended to better serve different areas of London or due to slot availability issues at Gatwick.
Currently, Royal Air Maroc is the sole operator between Morocco’s largest city and the UK since Air Arabia Maroc ceased its operations on this route in 2014. In addition to Stansted, Royal Air Maroc offers services from Casablanca to Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester. This expansion brings their total weekly flights between Casablanca and the UK to a record high of 22.
The addition of Stansted increases Moroccan destinations served by the airport to eight, including Agadir, Essaouira, Fez, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Rabat, and Tangier.
Booking data reveals that a significant number of passengers traveling from Gatwick, Heathrow, and Manchester use Royal Air Maroc for onward connections via Casablanca. Popular destinations include Nigeria and other African countries such as Gambia and Ghana.
