Moroccan airlines RAM plans to quadruple its fleet by 2037

RABAT (Reuters) - Moroccan state-owned airlines Royal Air Maroc (RAM) plans to quadruple its fleet to 200 aircraft by 2037 to meet increasing demand, the government said on Tuesday. To that end, a deal was signed by Morocco's prime minister, Aziz Akhannouch, and RAM chief Hamid Addou to increase the participation of the government in the airline's capital, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

Details on the state's new contribution to RAM's capital were not disclosed.

Morocco aims to attract 17.5 million tourists by 2026, up from 11 million last year, according to the tourism ministry. In 2019 Morocco had 13 million visitors.

Last year, the sector's revenue more than doubled compared with 2021 to 91 billion dirhams, exceeding 2019 levels.

But by 2037, it aspires to attract 67 million travellers as it also seeks to make Casablanca among the three largest air transport hubs in Africa, the statement said.

(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi in Rabat; Editing by Matthew Lewis)