New terminal to increase capacity at Casablanca airport to 35 mln passengers, at cost of $1.55 bln

Morocco will invest 1.55 billion dollars to increase total passenger capacity at Mohammed V airport in Casablanca to 35 million by 2029, ahead of the World Cup, the Kingdom will co-organize with Spain and Portugal, Moroccan airports agency ONDA said.

The new hub will be served by the high-speed train that will connect Kenitra to Dakhla and will have state-of-the-art service and technology.

The new terminal will also include a new parallel runway measuring 3700 meters by 45 meters, along with its taxiways and associated aeronautical infrastructure; aircraft parking areas; and a new control tower approximately 42 meters high, ONDA said.

Construction tenders will be launched in the coming months. The earthworks tender has already been launched, it said.

ONDA’s 2030 strategy
Morocco’s airport agency (ONDA) launched its 2030 expansion strategy to increase capacity in the Kingdom’s international airports ahead of global events and to accommodate the expansion of the flag carrier RAM.

In a presentation to reporters, ONDA’s chief Adel El Fakir said Casablanca airport will hit full capacity of 14 million passengers by 2027, from 10.5 million travelers currently.

Casablanca is planned to serve as a regional hub serving Africa, in tandem with the growth in Moroccan airlines RAM’s fleet and routes. RAM plans to increase its fleet from 56 to 200 by 2037, with a mid-term goal of having 107 aircrafts by 2030..

The second largest airport in the country, Marrakech, is already operating above full capacity at 9.3 million passengers. It is planned to be expanded to 9.3 million by 2028, according to ONDA.

Agadir airport’s capacity will grow from 2.5 million to 7 million, while Tangier will also be expanded from 2 million to 7 million all in 2028.

Fez and Rabat, each with 2 million capacity, will be enlarged to handle 5 million passengers each by 2028 and 2025 respectively.

Besides air traffic, Morocco is preparing its railways to host the World Cup connecting Marrakech to the high-speed train.

It is also in the process of acquiring 7000 urban buses and upgrading its hotel infrastructure.

Morocco is also building the World’s largest stadium with a capacity of 115,000 seats near Casablanca as works are underway to upgrade the five stadiums to host the global tournament.