Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has programmed flights from Casablanca to Algiers, starting from October 30th. These air trips will allow for four weekly flights, each carrying 147 economy class passengers and 12 business class passengers onboard a Boeing 737-800, according to specialized aviation websites.
However, this announcement remains speculative amid the unilateral Algerian decision to close its airspace to Morocco. The booking system indicates that the probable resumption of RAM’s flights would occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 9:55 AM, arriving at 11:50 AM. The return flights from Algeria are scheduled at 1:05 PM, landing in Casablanca at 3:05 PM. Despite these details, bookings are still on hold.
The announcement follows a series of diplomatic tensions between Algeria and Morocco. In August 2021, Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra announced during a press conference that his country decided to “sever its diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Morocco, starting from today”. He asserted that Morocco has historically and realistically never ceased its unfriendly and hostile acts against his country since Algeria’s independence.
Furthermore, the Algerian Higher Security Council declared in September 2021 the closure of its airspace to Moroccan civil and military aircraft, as well as those carrying Moroccan registration numbers, starting from September 22nd, 2021. The decision was taken amid “continuing provocations and hostile practices from the Moroccan side”.
