China Eastern Airlines to launch Shanghai-Casablanca route on January 19

China Eastern Airlines Group will launch, via its subsidiary Shanghai Airlines, an air route between Shanghai and Casablanca starting January 19, Chinese media report.

The long-haul flight, to operate three times a week (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday), will link Shanghai-Pudong international Airport to Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport, with a layover in Marseilles.

Flights from Shanghai will depart at 1:55 a.m. local time and land in Casablanca at 1:10 p.m. local time, according to Shine, a website belonging to Shanghai Daily, the largest English-language newspaper in Eastern China.

These flights will be operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft with a capacity of 285 seats, including 26 in business class, the paper added.

The timing of the route’s launch comes at a convenient time in the run-up to the Chinese New Year, usually celebrated between late January and mid-February.

In mid-December, Royal Air Maroc (RAM) announced the relaunch of its first-ever direct flight between Casablanca and Beijing as of January 20, 2025. RAM’s new service will operate three times a week.

Originally launched in January 2020, the route was suspended just a few weeks later due to the global health crisis. The relaunch of this vital connection is expected to play a pivotal role in further strengthening Morocco’s appeal to China’s growing outbound tourist market, the largest in the world.

To mark this milestone, RAM signed 16 agreements with major Chinese travel agencies during a special ceremony held in Beijing.

This new service is part of RAM’s broader plan to enhance air connectivity between Morocco and China as part of its 2024-2037 strategic roadmap. RAM plans to increase the frequency of flights to Beijing from three to seven weekly flights and expand its network to other major Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Rabat and Beijing’s relations have particularly strengthened since Morocco decided in 2016 to exempt Chinese nationals from visa formalities, making the country a popular destination for travelers.