The Irish airline Ryanair starts two new air connections between Spain and Western Sahara. From January 2025, it will connect Madrid and Lanzarote with Dakhla (Dakhla), the old Villa Cisneroswithin the framework of its expansion plan throughout North Africa, especially focused on Morocco.
Both routes will operate twice a week as part of its new 24/25 winter programming, which includes the opening of ten other routes from its different bases in Spain. Specifically, the new offer planned by the airline led by Michael O’Leary contemplates a new connection between Madrid and Lamezia (Italy); another between Palma de Mallorca and Pardubice (Czech Republic) and a third between Fuerteventura and Bournemouth (United Kingdom).
Added to this are two new routes from Malaga (Brno, Czech Republic; and Teesside, England); three from Alicante (Bydgoszcz, Poland; Linz and Salzburg, Austria); and two others from Girona (Lublin, Poland; and Ostrava, Czech Republic).
The old Villa Cisneros, a new tourist destination
However, of all the news highlights the connection with the south of Western Saharaa destination with very few air connections to or from Spain. These are limited, for now, to two weekly flights between Dakhla and Gran Canaria operated by the Canarian company Binter, which also flies to El Aaiún, in the north of the Saharan territory.
Royal Air Maroc also connects the Canary Island with the unofficial capital of the Sahara several times a week. For its part, the old Villa Cisneros airfield barely has operations from the Moroccan national airline, apart from a regular flight to Paris Orly operated by Transavia, the low cost of the Air France–KLM group.
The establishment of these new routes from Madrid and Lanzarote is the result of the good relationship between Ryanair and the Moroccan governmentwhich keeps the former Spanish colony occupied and for practical purposes considers it part of its territory.
The acceptance of this status by the governments of Spain and France, despite the demands for independence of the Saharan inhabitants, are associated with the gradual opening to tourism that Morocco is carrying out in its original and annexed territory, an operation for which the Irish company has become an essential ally.
14 aircraft at their bases in Morocco
Dakhla will be the thirteenth airport operated by Ryanair in Moroccoextending its investment in the African kingdom, where it already operates more than 1,000 weekly flights (30% more than last winter) with 157 different routes. Its winter plan calls for 36 additional connections, including 11 domestic flights, from all of those facilities; and will expand frequencies on another 40 routes.
The airline has based 14 aircraft in the North African country (7 in Marrakech, 3 in Fez, 2 in Agadir and 2 in Tangier, the last base opened last summer) and estimates its investment at 1.4 billion dollars, complemented by 420 direct high-paying jobs. After his arrival, he defends that air traffic in Morocco will increase until approaching 10 million passengers per year.
Elena CabreraRyanair’s country manager for Spain, Portugal, France and Morocco, points out elEconomista.es that “we are delighted to add a 13th airport in Morocco, to continue growing and achieving our objectives to go from 10 to 20 million passengers and to base 30 aircraft, double the current number, in Morocco by 2030.”
The CEO of Ryanair, Eddie Wilsonhas been shown “excited to strengthen Morocco’s connectivity and Ryanair’s investment in the Kingdom, boosting tourism and economic growth in this region” (in reference to the Sahara). “We hope to continue growing Morocco’s infrastructure, connectivity and tourism,” he exclaims in a statement sent by the company.
For her part, the Minister of Tourism of Morocco, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, noted that “the launch of these two new Ryanair routes to Dakhla marks a crucial step in our tourism development strategy for this exceptional destination. “This sends a strong signal of our commitment to improving its connectivity and elevating it to the global tourism scene.”
LinkedinBeloud
#Ryanair #connect #Spain #Western #Sahara #routes
