Morocco’s open skies success offers model for African aviation

Morocco’s experience with aviation liberalization demonstrates how strategic reforms can transform air travel across Africa,according to a new analysis by Marie-Noelle Nwokolo of The Brenthurst Foundation.

As the first African country to sign an Open Skies agreement with the European Union in 2006,Morocco’s bold move yielded impressive results despite initial skepticism. Passenger volumes between Morocco and Europe grew approximately 18% annually in the four years following the deal,generating an additional €1 billion for Morocco’s GDP by 2009 and creating an estimated 24,000 jobs.

“Skeptics feared the onslaught of European low-cost carriers would kill the national airline,Royal Air Maroc (RAM); it did not,” Nwokolo wrote in her report “Soaring above the Aviation Blues: How Reforms can Transform Air Travel across Africa.”

Tourist arrivals climbed steadily at around 6% per year while average fares dropped by roughly 7%. Royal Air Maroc adapted to the competitive environment and remains the market’s largest player despite competition from a dozen European carriers. The agreement also sparked domestic innovation,with Air Arabia Maroc launching in 2009 to serve the low budget travel segment.

The implementation wasn’t without challenges. RAM CEO Abdelhamid Addou described an imbalance where European airlines gained unfettered access to Moroccan markets while RAM faced difficulties securing landing slots at major European airports.

Morocco’s approach contrasts sharply with widespread protectionism across Africa. Despite housing 18% of the world’s population,Africa accounts for just 2% of global air passenger traffic. A 2022 African Union study projected that full implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market would boost Africa’s GDP by $4.2 billion,create almost 600,000 jobs,and reduce average airfares by 27%.

Previous limited liberalization between Kenya and South Africa saw passenger traffic surge 69%,while South Africa-Zambia routes experienced a 38% traffic increase when low-cost carriers entered the market.