Moroccan airline RAM to launch Casablanca-Beijing air route in January

Morocco’s flag carrier RAM will start operating three flights per week between Casablanca and Beijing on January 16 as part of an expansion plan that also includes the acquisition of new long-haul aircrafts.

RAM officials hope that the new route will help connect other African airports to Beijing Daxing airport, one of the largest in the world.

The flights will be operated by RAM’s 787-9 Boeing Dreamliner, which could cross the distance between Casablanca to Beijing in 13 hours.

The flights are scheduled on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays departing from Casablanca’s Mohammed V airport at 17:00 and arriving in Beijing at 11:00.

This will be RAM’s first direct flight to the Asian continent. The airline will also be the first in the Maghreb and West Africa to schedule direct flights to China.

The new air route is also in line with Morocco’s tourism strategy to attract more Chinese tourists.

Last September, Morocco’s tourism promotion office signed an agreement with Chinese tour operator C Trip to bring 500,000 Chinese tourists annually to Morocco.

The North African country has become Africa’s leading tourist destination attracting 12.3 million tourists, including 180,000 from China.

Morocco, which exempted Chinese citizens from visa requirements in 2015, has also sought to boost its connectivity with China by establishing partnerships with three key international airlines- Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines and Air France.