The government of Morocco has underlined its commitment to business aviation in the kingdom, as the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) continued its efforts to promote the industry in North Africa with the staging of the second MEBAA Morocco Show in Marrakech in September. The exhibition took place on September 12-13 at Marrakech Menara Airport, with approximately 30 stands and participation from manufacturers such as Gulfstream, Bombardier and the Office National des Aéroports (ONDA), as well as a static display on the ramp featuring a Gulfstream G550, a Bombardier Challenger 650 and a Citation M2.
“Morocco plays a special strategic role in business aviation. Our geographic and strategic position helps us to be a hub between the continents of Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” Moroccan minister of tourism, Mohammed Sajid, told the MEBAA Morocco Conference on September 11, before touring the MEBAA Morocco Expo a day later as guest of honor.
Dubai-based MEBAA’s efforts to drive growth of the private-jet industry in Morocco are predicated on the need to grow the domestic business aviation sector, since 20 to 30 international flights a day are understood to make technical and refueling stops, often on trips between Europe and South America.
Zouhair El Aoufir, CEO of ONDA, told the conference that Tit Mellil Airport, located between Rabat and business capital Casablanca, would open as a business aviation airport in 2025, although MEBAA chairman Ali Alnaqbi, said he hoped the opening date would be earlier.
As a result of the staging of the 1st MEBAA Morocco event in September 2015 in Casablanca, the government launched tenders for 10 FBO slots in the kingdom, five of which were awarded to Jetex Flight Support and four to Swissport Maroc SA, a unit of Swissport Executive Aviation, last year.
El Aoufir characterized the volume of bizav activity in Morocco as "relatively low" at approximately 11,450 movements in 2015 and forecast at 10,600 movements this year, apparently due to the exit of local air-taxi and charter players from the market in the past two years.
Infrastructure Opportunity
Jetex’s CEO, Adel Mardini, told AIN that there is a sound basis for the growth of business aviation in Morocco. “The business is already there. Marrakech alone [already] has 4,000 movements.”
“I think we could argue the market is [rather] small, [and there is a need to] bring in new companies, and create awareness of the market outside Morocco. We are suffering from a deficit, on the ‘other’ side of the Mediterranean. Africa is key. I think more names in the market would change [perceptions] as well. At the moment, the market is not that big, but, at Swissport, we are strong believers in strong competition,” Christophe De Figueiredo, director general and CEO, Swissport Maroc, told the conference.
“A major challenge we had and still have is restrictions from the government on operating. This is because of a misunderstanding around the general aviation business in general, not because they don’t want to develop the business itself. The government is pushing us to be on the ground. The potential for Open Skies is very important,” said Adel Mardini, CEO of Jetex Flight Support.
The government is understood to have placed a cap on the number of FBOs until the market achieves a significant level of growth.
“The target is to achieve a certain number of movements to [increase throughput]. We are happy with the award from ONDA to be FBO operators in Morocco. We believe they should be more common in this region. When we achieve a certain level of movements, this will be an opportunity for more players [to enter the market]. We are looking at the long-term, and we are looking very closely at development.”
Morocco is still a poor country, and GDP per capita this year at $3,093, as estimated by the International Monetary Fund, is lower than Egypt’s. However, work is well under way to link Tangier in the north to several other midland destinations, including Casablanca and Marrakech. Insiders estimate that there are fewer than 10 private jets operating in the kingdom, and one put the figure as low as five or six.
Morocco’s top five business aviation airports today are Marrakech Menara, Rabat-Salé, Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport, Tangier Ibn Battuta and Fez-Saiss, according to data provided to MEBAA by WingX, a Hamburg, Germany-based business aviation intelligence service.
Global connections by departure through the end of July saw Africa as most popular destination, with approximately 55 percent, Europe with 40 percent and the rest of the world, with around 5 percent, WingX said.
Jetex’s FBOs are expected to be complete by the end of next year. Swissport claims that the build-out of its FBOs will be complete by October 2018. “All the FBOs will be finished by the end of October next year. This is our agreement with ONDA, but we are already active [in temporary facilities],” said De Figueiredo.
Jetex and Swissport will operate FBO facilities at Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech. “In Casablanca we need to refurbish the existing building. In the meantime, we will use a temporary lounge. In Marrakech, we are reviewing the architects’ plans. In Tangier we are alone, [while] Jetex is alone in Agadir and in Dakhla,” he said.