MOROCCO · TRAVEL
Key Facts
- The country Morocco is a North African kingdom of 36.8 million people, and Essaouira is a UNESCO-listed Atlantic port city.
- Why now The route enters service on Sunday 1 November 2026, days after its inauguration on Wednesday 28 October.
- What happened Royal Air Maroc will fly Casablanca to Essaouira twice a week at a fixed US$41 one-way fare.
- What it means for you US visitors via Casablanca can add a 1 hour 20 minute hop to Essaouira on Wednesdays and Sundays.
- Still open The subsidy’s size and length, the aircraft type and any through fares from the US are not stated.
In Plain English
Royal Air Maroc is Morocco’s national airline, with its main hub at Mohammed V airport in Casablanca and membership of the Oneworld alliance. The wilaya is the governor’s office that represents the state in a region, and Marrakech-Safi is the region that includes Essaouira.
Bank Al-Maghrib is Morocco’s central bank, and the dirham (MAD) is the national currency. A subsidized fare is a ticket price that public partners help pay for, so the airline can charge less than the cost of the seat.
Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national airline, will start flying between Casablanca and the Atlantic coast city of Essaouira on Sunday 1 November 2026 at a fixed, subsidized fare of 400 dirhams (US$41) one way in economy. The service runs twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, and the published timetable puts the trip at 1 hour 20 minutes.
The route was inaugurated in Essaouira on Wednesday 28 October 2026, where Transport and Logistics Minister Abdessamad Kayouh and André Azoulay, an adviser to King Mohammed VI, both spoke. For US visitors who reach Morocco through Casablanca, it adds a short domestic hop to a walled seaport for anyone planning a Morocco winter trip.
What Was Announced on 28 October
The new line is a partnership between the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the governor’s office of the Marrakech-Safi region, the regional council and the airline. The partners call the fare subsidized and fixed.
Kayouh said the launch belongs to the airline’s strategy toward 2030, which aims to link Casablanca with more Moroccan cities and make air travel affordable, and he cited existing links from Casablanca to Dakhla, Laayoune, Ouarzazate, Zagora, Errachidia, Tan-Tan and Boulemane. Azoulay, who founded the Essaouira-Mogador Association, said the air link would help tourism and bring wider attention to the city’s history.
The airline’s chief executive, Hamid Addou, said in the launch release that the line serves tourists, families and professionals. The release says tickets are sold on the airline’s website, through its call centers and sales offices and through partner travel agencies.
Timetable and Fares
Wednesday flights leave Casablanca’s Mohammed V airport at 4 p.m. and reach Essaouira at 5:20 p.m., and the return leaves Essaouira at 6 p.m. and lands in Casablanca at 7:20 p.m. local time. Sunday flights leave Casablanca at 8:20 a.m. and arrive at 9:40 a.m., and the return leaves Essaouira at 10:20 a.m. and lands at 11:40 a.m.
The airline’s booking page shows a round trip in economy from 800 dirhams (US$81), and its launch release lists business class at 1,600 dirhams (US$163) round trip. Conversions use the Bank Al-Maghrib reference rate of 9.8393 dirhams per US dollar on Thursday 29 October 2026.
What Essaouira Offers Visitors
Essaouira is a walled Atlantic seaport that UNESCO describes as an 18th century fortified town, built with European military design and used as a trade hub linking Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa with Europe. The airline’s release notes that its medina has been a World Heritage site since 2001.
The town was founded under Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah, who reigned from 1757 to 1790. It also hosts the Gnaoua World Music Festival and the MOGA festival, both held in 2026.
How US Travelers Connect
The airline’s website sells flights to New York, Washington, Miami and Los Angeles, and Casablanca is the hub through which Essaouira joins a network that the launch release counts at 86 international destinations. The Los Angeles nonstop route links the US West Coast to that same hub.
US citizens need no visa for visits of fewer than 90 days and a passport valid for at least six months on entry, according to the State Department’s country page. The department rates Morocco at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, in an advisory reissued on 21 April 2025.
What It Means for You
A US traveler can now pair a Casablanca arrival with a coastal stop in Essaouira for about US$41 each way, but only on Wednesdays and Sundays. Anyone building a trip around the Sunday 8:20 a.m. departure should check the arrival time of the transatlantic flight, since no through ticket from the United States was described at the launch.
For investors, the route is one more sign of domestic air links being built out before the 2030 target year the minister cited. It is a subsidy on one route and says little about airfares or airline profits elsewhere in Morocco, a theme tracked in the Morocco section.
What Is Not Known
The partners have not said how large the subsidy is, how long it will last, or whether the 400 dirham fare is limited to certain passengers. The aircraft type and seat count were also not stated, and the airline’s booking page listed fares only for November and December 2026 on Friday 30 October.
Kayouh said new-generation jets expected by the airline should cut the trip to under 30 minutes, but no delivery date was given and the timetable shows 1 hour 20 minutes. Whether Essaouira will get more than two weekly flights if demand is strong has not been announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Royal Air Maroc flight to Essaouira start?
The service starts on Sunday 1 November 2026 from Casablanca’s Mohammed V airport. It runs twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays.
How much is a ticket from Casablanca to Essaouira?
A one-way economy ticket costs a fixed 400 dirhams, about US$41 at the central bank rate of 29 October. A round trip is 800 dirhams (US$81) in economy and 1,600 dirhams (US$163) in business.
How long is the flight from Casablanca to Essaouira?
The timetable shows 1 hour 20 minutes on both the Wednesday and Sunday flights. The transport minister said new jets should cut the trip to under 30 minutes, without giving a date.
Do US citizens need a visa for Morocco?
No visa is needed for visits of fewer than 90 days, and the passport must be valid for at least six months. The State Department lists Morocco at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution.
Sources: Royal Air Maroc, Casablanca to Essaouira booking page, 30 October 2026; Royal Air Maroc, destinations and fares, 30 October 2026; Moroccan Head of Government, members of the government, October 2026; Bank Al-Maghrib, reference exchange rates, 29 October 2026; High Commission for Planning (HCP), legal population, 2024 census; UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Medina of Essaouira (Mogador); US State Department, Morocco travel advisory; US State Department, Morocco country information.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief