Ryanair will offer 5.3 million seats across 156 routes serving Morocco in its winter 2026 schedule, the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) said on Tuesday, a programme the tourism body described as the carrier’s largest ever in the country.
Capacity increase and new base
The winter schedule adds 600,000 seats, a 12% increase on the previous winter and includes 17 new connections. The expanded programme connects 13 Moroccan airports with 14 countries and includes a new Ryanair base at Rabat-Salé, the airline’s fifth base in Morocco.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Seats (winter 2026) | 5.3 million |
| Routes | 156 |
| New connections | 17 |
| Morocco-based aircraft | 16 |
| Seat increase vs previous winter | 600,000 (12%) |
| Investment cited by ONMT | $1.6 billion |
| Jobs supported (ONMT) | more than 8,500 |
Regional spread and strategic intent
The ONMT highlighted that the expansion helps to spread tourist arrivals more widely across Morocco, strengthening links to destinations beyond the established hubs. The network increase also coincides with Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson’s visit to Rabat to deepen the airline’s strategic partnership with the tourism office.
“We are taking delivery of 300 aircraft over the next seven years, and we want to apportion as many of those to Morocco as possible”
Ryanair’s fifth base at Rabat is operating with two aircraft, contributing to the total of 16 aircraft based in Morocco that the ONMT cites. The tourism office described the expansion as aligned with its strategy to increase air capacity, attract visitors from new source markets and consolidate Morocco’s position in established European markets.
Local impact and network reach
ONMT materials list destinations benefiting from the expanded links, including Fez, Tetouan, Essaouira, Ouarzazate, Dakhla and Nador, signalling a push to connect secondary and emerging tourism and leisure destinations across the kingdom.
- Ryanair’s Morocco winter capacity: 5.3 million seats across 156 routes
- Network supports ONMT aim to diversify visitor destinations and source markets
- Rabat new base and 16 aircraft now based in Morocco; ONMT attributes a $1.6 billion cumulative investment and support for more than 8,500 jobs
The ONMT framed the rollout as evidence of Morocco’s growing importance in Ryanair’s development strategy and of international carriers’ confidence in the country’s tourism potential. Ryanair’s increased presence is likely to be closely observed by airports and tourism authorities in both Morocco and Ryanair’s European markets as winter operations commence.
