The first United Airlines flight from New York to Morocco’s Marrakech-Menara airport landed on Friday morning, marking the first point-to-point service by an American airline to Morocco and North Africa.
A high-level Moroccan delegation was on the tarmac to welcome United Airlines executives, notably Patrick Quayle, the company's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Network and Alliances, to celebrate the inaugural flight, which is part of Moroccan National Tourist Office’s (ONMT) “Light in action” action plan.
The historic New York-Marrakech route is operated three times weekly (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) aboard 167-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft configured in United Airlines' award-winning Polaris, Premium Plus business and Premium Economy cabins.
By launching this new direct route in partnership with United Airlines, ONMT is reinforcing its strategy on the American market, with the stated aim of eventually reaching one million American tourists visiting Morocco every year
Speaking on the occasion, US Ambassador to Morocco Puneet Talwar hailed the inauguration of this new air route, which represents a “new era” in relations between the United States and Morocco, stressing that this service will “bring our peoples even closer together and strengthen cultural exchanges” between the two countries.
Highlighting the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries, Talwar noted that this new connection will offer Americans the opportunity to become immersed in Morocco's rich heritage, and Moroccan travelers to easily discover New York and other major American destinations.
"Our two Nations share a common vision and values in celebrating diversity and welcoming people from diverse backgrounds. This openness is one of the core values that strengthens our relationship,” the American diplomat said.
For her part, Director of ONMT's New York office Siham Fettouhi said that this flight represents a “historic moment”, emphasizing the importance of the American market, hence the opening of this service as a means of attracting more tourists and, consequently, showcasing the tourist potential of Marrakech and Morocco in general.
Matt Stevens, vice-president of United Airlines' international network, explained that this direct route will enable Americans and the airline's customers to travel easily to Morocco and discover “the rich cultural heritage of this magnificent country”.
In addition to United Airlines' delegation, the flight included 35 travel consultants from the two largest U.S. groups specializing in luxury tourism, Signature Travel Network and Virtuoso, with a total of over 32,000 travel agents.
In June 2023, ONMT signed strategic partnership agreements with these two major networks to tout Morocco as a destination for the American market. These travel influencers will discover Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Essaouira and Agafay.
