Pride was perceptible in the eyes of the crew of flight AT555, who on this Friday 25 March rained down on the Boeing 737 from Royal Air Maroc the traditional "water salute" typical of major events. It has to be said that the Moroccan airline and its teams had to show patience and resilience before seeing their arrival in Africa celebrated on the tarmac at Lagos airport.alliance oneworldeffective since 1st April 2020. Like the rest of the airline industry, these two long years have been marked by the health crisis, culminating in a border closure of the Kingdom finally lifted last February.
A lot of events would simply have fallen by the wayside in such a short space of time. Not this one. On the contrary, the two partners have planned a series of celebrations, starting at Abidjanthen to Lagos on 25 March. Proof if any were needed that the arrival of this fourteenth company in the ranks of oneworld is anything but anecdotal. Business travellers have already been able to appreciate the tangible benefits, with a constantly improving quality of service. By joining oneworld, Royal Air Maroc opens the door to 650 airport lounges worldwide, a thousand destinations, and the opportunity to collect and use miles with the thirteen other member airlines.
First African airline at oneworld
This important membership of Royal Air Maroc is undoubtedly the case for oneworld. For this is the the first African airline to join the alliance American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia. And given the region's promising prospects, the Casablanca hub is set to play a strategic role in the near future for oneworld and its members. In fact, only three other African airlines are currently members of a global alliance, namely Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways. This configuration logically influenced Royal Air Maroc's decision, as Karim Benchekoun, CFO of the Moroccan airline, explains: " We did a lot of analysis, and we identified that the best alliance for us was oneworldSkyteam had no member airlines in Africa. Skyteam and Star Alliance already had a strong presence in Africa, and our aim is to complete the network of member airlines. It was therefore more natural for us to join oneworld, with the benefits that this represents in terms of network. ".
Royal Air Maroc brings oneworld to Africa, but also brings Africa to oneworld
" Royal Air Maroc brings oneworld to Africa, but also brings Africa to oneworld, which is very important. "sums up Karim Benchekoun, who can boast ofadd some thirty destinations to the alliance's network on the African continent. This new regional base for oneworld is also set to gain in consistency as Royal Air Maroc looks to expand its portfolio in Africa. Firstly, by enhancing its existing network in terms of frequencies and capabilities over the period 2022-2023. Then by improving its coverage of the territory by targeting medium-haul destinations. " We are committed to serving theEast Africa "says Karim Benchekoun. " There are projects to Kigali, Nairobi, Addis Ababa ... These destinations are in the pipeline, but with the crisis all airlines are facing economic difficulties. It is therefore more likely that these routes will be launched in 2024 or 2025 "he adds.
The arrival of Royal Air Maroc Joining the alliance also marks a major milestone in the history of the airline founded in 1957, while paving the way for an ambitious future. Ambitious, and above all demanding, because joining oneworld means complying with a strict set of specifications, and rising to the standards adopted by prestigious members. " When we talk about oneworld member airlines, we are talking about American Airlines, the world's leading airline, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Malaysia or Quantas... So we are talking about the best companies in the world. And being part of this club is a real honour for us ". And yet the company managed to surprise these prestigious partners when it joined, as oneworld CEO Rob Gurney recalls: " When we first announced that Royal Air Maroc would be joining oneworld, we expected them to 'come on board' with us in mid-2020, 18 months later. [Royal Air Maroc] completed the implementation programme in 15 months. ". But perhaps the hardest part is yet to come, as Royal Air Maroc is now obliged to keep up with its partners. So much the better: the airline's management is clearly intent on taking RAM into a new dimension.
