Royal Air Maroc (commonly called RAM, الخطوط الملكية المغربية Al-Khuṭūṭ al-Malakīyyah al-Maghribīyyah in Arabic) is the flag carrier airline of Morocco, based in Casablanca. It operates scheduled international flights from Morocco to Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America and a domestic and charter network, (including Hajj flights). Its base is Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), Casablanca.
[edit] History
[edit] First days
The company was founded in 1953 as Compagnie Cherifienne des Transports Aeriens (CCTA). Junkers Ju-52 tri-engine aircraft started local services but these aircraft were soon replaced by DC-3s and Lockheed Constellations. The name Royal Air Maroc was adopted after independence and the company began flying international routes in 1957 from its main base in Casablanca.
[edit] The jet age
In 1960 RAM introduced its first jets: Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelles. These flew to European routes such as Paris and Madrid until the mid 1970s when they were phased out in favor of Boeing 727s. Simultaneously, Boeing 707s were being introduced for longer or higher capacity routes and Original Series 737s for smaller routes. By the end of the 1970s, Royal Air Maroc was flying to Europe, North America, the Middle East, and finally North Africa.
[edit] The 1980s
RAM continued to expand in the 1980s. New routes were opened and routes expanded, frequencies were increased and new aircraft were introduced. Boeing 757s were purchased in 1986 and eventually replaced the oldest 727s. The expansion of Casablanca Mohammed V airport in 1984 provided the company with a more modern base.
[edit] The 1990s
In the early days of the decade, the last of the 707s was removed from the fleet. Meanwhile, newer, more efficient, Classic 400 and 500 Series Boeing 737s were introduced to increase the frequency of European routes. By the middle of the decade all 727s had disappeared. To consolidate its North American operations, Royal Air Maroc purchased a single 747-400. As the decade progressed, new routes to previously under-served African airports were opened.
[edit] 2000-present
With the increasing number of passengers and newly opened routes as well as increasing oil prices, there was a need to buy new aircraft. In 2000 an order for 20 Next Generation Boeing 737 aircraft and 4 Airbus A321s was placed. Meanwhile more routes to west and central African cities were opened.
RAM was now changing, from providing flights to meet the demands of foreign tourists and Moroccan expatriates, to providing connections between European cities and African cities via the Casablanca hub. In 2002, the company leased two 767s to replace the single 747 in North American routes and in 2004, the low-cost subsidiary, Atlas Blue, was set up with its main base in Marrakesh. Six Boeing 737-400s were transferred to it with the aim of providing tourists with a direct route to Moroccan resort towns. In 2005, the company ordered four Boeing 787s to replace the leased 767s and expand North American, Middle Eastern, and African routes. It was announced in May 2008 that RAM had transported a record-breaking 6.33 million passengers in the previous fiscal year, the year 2007[1].
[edit] The future
In late 2005 an Open-Sky agreement was signed between Morocco and the EU. This means that Royal Air Maroc will have to face tough competition from low cost carriers eager to exploit profitable routes between Western Europe and Morocco. A further challenge arises from the high cost of kerosene and the fact that the company may have to drop some of its unprofitable domestic and international routes. The construction of a third terminal and runway began at Mohammed V airport in late 2005.
[edit] Stakes and ownership
The Moroccan government owns 95.95% of the airline and Air France 2.86%. The government intends to partially privatise the airline through the sale of a 25% holding. Royal Air Maroc has 5,719 employees. Royal Air Maroc has a 99% holding in Atlas Blue and 49% in Air Senegal International[1][2], see below.
The subsidiaries of The Group Royal Air Maroc are:
[edit] Network
RAM has its base at Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) near Casablanca. The company differentiates three types of flights: short- , medium- and long-haul. Short-haul flights are mainly national connections between the Moroccan airports and some flights to other North-African countries.
Medium-haul flights are operated between several Moroccan airports and destinations in Europe, Central Africa and the Middle-East.
The lang-haul flights are the cross-Atlantic flights to Canada and the United States[3]
[edit] Destinations
Royal Air Maroc (Atlas Blue and Regional Air Lines) operate the following fleet (as of June 2009):[4]
[edit] Codeshare agreements
Royal Air Maroc has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
[edit] Incidents and accidents
This Royal Air Maroc Boeing 767-300, civil registration CN-RNT, was damaged in a hard landing incident at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Over the years RAM has been involved with several incidents. Major incidents involving fatalities and/or loss of airplane are:[5]
- 14 November 1958: A Douglas DC-3 was damaged during landing at Tangier airport. No injuries were reported but the fuselage was damaged beyond repair.
- 1 April 1970: a Sud Aviation Caravelle crashed on approach to Casablanca Mohammad V airport when it lost control at a height of about 500 feet. Sixty one of the 82 passengers and crew were killed.
- 22 December 1973: another Caravelle, leased from Sobelair, crashed near Tangiers Airport (TNG) when the pilot, during a storm, engaged the outbound procedural turn too far east causing the plane to overfly hazardous terrain and eventually crash. All 106 passengers and crew on board were killed.
- 6 February 1989: a Vickers Vanguard 952, leased from Inter Cargo Systems for cargo-flights crashed during the 2nd takeoff attempt at Marignane Airport, Marseille, France. The airplane made a stop in Marseille en route from Casablanca to Paris-Orly to offload and load some cargo. The first attempt was aborted due to problems with the flight controls. At the second attempt the crew experienced further control problems. All three crew members died and the airplane was destroyed.
- 21 August 1994: an ATR 42-300 operating the domestic Agadir-Casablanca route lost control at 16000 feet, entered a steep dive, and crashed into nearby mountains. Investigators suspect that the pilot deliberately disengaged the autopilot and directed the aircraft into the ground. All of the 44 passengers and crew members were killed.
- 26 January 2003: during a night-time landing at Angads Airport near Oujda the right wing of a Boeing 737 touched the ground some 20 meter left of the runway. The plane continued moving parrallel tot the strip for several 100 meters. Official reports of the incidents are missing but the plane was removed from the national registers per September 16, 2003. No injuries.
Some other serious incidents include:
- 21 January 1995: a Boeing 747-400 operating as Flight 205 was preparing to leave Montréal-Mirabel International Airport for New York and Casablanca. The pilot started taxiing forward, believing that deicing was complete and the parking stand was clear of any vehicles. It knocked down two deicing vehicles that were still in place in front of both horizontal stabilizers, killing three ground crew members and injuring two others.[6]
- 20 April 2009: a Boeing 767-300 operating as Flight 200 from Casablanca encountered wake turbulence during approach into John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. This resulted in the aircraft making a very hard landing, and further inspections on the ground revealed cracks and wrinkles on the fuselage. The airplane was subsequently grounded for repairs.[7][8]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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