Air Maroc quits Nairobi flights in business shift

Moroccan national carrier, Royal Air Maroc (RAM), has confirmed the suspension of its flights on the Casablanca-Nairobi-Ndjamena (Chad) route immediately.

The airline cited the “need to reposition” as the reason for abandoning the route three years after its launch.

“Royal Air Maroc — Morocco’s national carrier — wishes to inform you that the airline has suspended all its flight operations out of Nairobi as from March 2nd 2019,” Country manager Othman Baba said in a statement.

The airline started the Nairobi route in April 2016, making it the airline’s 33rd destination in Africa.

“The decision to suspend flights out of Nairobi is informed by the need to reposition Royal Air Maroc in view of the current air travel preferential trends derived from the latest air travel market intelligence,” added Mr Baba.

The airline has not ruled out a re-entry in future.

“We look forward to returning to the East African market in the fullness of time and in a more vibrant and assertive manner once our reorganization programme is fully in place,” he said.

Royal Air Maroc announced plans to launch flights to five other East African cities last year.

Royal Air Maroc was so far the only North African airline that runs a direct Nairobi-Ndjamena (Chad) flight.