Morocco's airport expansion for 2030: what is being built, and where

Morocco plans to lift airport capacity to 80 million passengers a year by 2030, under a MAD 38bn programme signed in July 2025, after traffic reached a record 36.3 million in 2025. The centrepiece is a MAD 15bn Casablanca terminal due in 2029. Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Fès are due to be expanded with help from a €270 million AfDB loan signed on 30 September 2026.

Updated 5 October 2026

Key facts

Moroccan airports handled 36.3 million passengers in 2025, up from 32.7 million in 2024 and 27.1 million in 2023 (ONDA data).
Traffic reached 22.3 million passengers in January-July 2026, up 8.8% year on year, with traffic to and from Europe up 9.3% (ONDA, via Hespress).
Marrakech-Menara passed 10 million passengers for the first time in 2025, with 10.2 million (ONDA).
A government-ONDA protocol signed on 24 July 2025 commits MAD 38bn to airports for 2025-2030, targeting 80 million passengers of annual capacity (Le360; Maroc.ma).
Casablanca's new Mohammed V terminal costs about MAD 15bn, adds 20 million passengers of capacity and is due in service in 2029, with its own high-speed rail station (Maroc.ma, July 2025).
The African Development Bank signed a €270 million loan on 30 September 2026 to expand Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Fès, with 2030 capacity targets of 14, 5, 3.6 and 3 million passengers (Maroc.ma).
Ryanair opened a fifth Moroccan base, at Rabat, in 2026 and announced 156 Morocco routes for winter 2026 (Ryanair, via Tourexpi).

How busy are Morocco's airports? Passenger numbers 2023-2026

Traffic grew by a third in two years: airports handled 36.3 million passengers in 2025, against 27.1 million in 2023, and 22.3 million in the first seven months of 2026 (+8.8%). The main airports, 2025 and January-July 2026, on ONDA figures:

Casablanca Mohammed V: more than 11 million in 2025 (one report gives 11.5 million); 6.95 million in January-July 2026
Marrakech-Menara: 10.2 million (+10%); 6.41 million
Agadir Al Massira: 3.5 million (+11%); 2.18 million
Tangier Ibn Battouta: 2.8 million (+17%); 1.71 million
Rabat-Salé: 2.17 million (+26%); 1.45 million
Essaouira-Mogador: about 310,000 in 2025, up roughly a third

Demand is running ahead of the buildings. National capacity was put at about 30 million (Maroc.ma, April 2025) or 34 million (Le360, July 2025) passengers a year, below the 36.3 million who actually flew in 2025.

What is in the Airports 2030 plan?

The plan more than doubles capacity to 80 million passengers a year by 2030. A protocol signed on 24 July 2025 commits MAD 38bn: MAD 25bn for new capacity and MAD 13bn for maintenance, land and upgrades, including MAD 5bn raised by securitising public-domain fees.

ONDA, the state airport operator, is being converted into a limited company branded Airports of Morocco. The 80 million target replaced an earlier goal of 60 million reported by Médias24 in October 2023, a measure of how fast traffic has moved.

The tourism target explains the urgency. The government aims for 26 million visitors in 2030, and about 70% of visitors arrive by air, according to Le360. Morocco received 19.8 million visitors in 2025 and 14.1 million in January-August 2026 (see our tourism statistics).

Casablanca's new terminal: cost, capacity and opening date

The new Mohammed V terminal is the largest single project: about MAD 15bn, due in service in 2029, according to the government. Earthworks began in July 2025, and in December 2025 the main construction contract went to an SGTM-TGCC joint venture for about MAD 12bn, according to MEED, covering more than 600,000 m² with a 300-key airside hotel.

Capacity figures conflict. The government's July 2025 announcement gives 20 million extra passengers, for 35 million in total; MEED reported 30 million; a December 2024 ministerial figure of 45 million appears to cover the wider Casablanca programme, including a new runway. We use the official 35 million.

The terminal will include a station on the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed line, also targeted for 2029. The government says the airport will then be about 30 minutes from Rabat and under an hour from Marrakech, which makes Casablanca the long-haul gateway for Marrakech too (see our high-speed rail guide).

Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Fès: the regional expansions

The four regional airports share an extension programme known as PEMIA, costing about MAD 9.08bn according to Hespress, and part-funded by the €270 million African Development Bank loan signed on 30 September 2026. Works include a new control tower at Marrakech-Menara, 1.5 million m² of aircraft parking, 7.6 km of taxiways and automated baggage handling. The 2030 capacity targets against 2025 traffic:

Marrakech: 14 million, against 10.2 million passengers in 2025
Agadir: 5 million, against 3.5 million (an earlier ONDA plan cited 7 million)
Tangier: 3.6 million, against 2.8 million
Fès: 3 million

Read the Marrakech gap carefully. Its 2030 target is only about 37% above 2025 traffic; if traffic kept growing at the 2025 rate of about 10% a year, it would reach 14 million around 2029. That is simple arithmetic, not a forecast, but it suggests capacity rather than demand may cap Marrakech arrivals.

Which airlines are adding seats to Morocco?

Low-cost carriers are driving the growth. Ryanair opened its fifth Moroccan base, at Rabat, in 2026 and announced a record winter 2026 schedule of 156 Morocco routes and 5.3 million seats (+12%), with 16 aircraft based in the country.

easyJet announced in October 2025 that Marrakech would host its first African base from spring 2026, with three aircraft, and added Hamburg, Lille and Strasbourg to Marrakech and Geneva to Tangier for summer 2026. Transavia, Jet2 and Wizz Air have added routes from France, the Netherlands, the UK, Italy and central Europe, including Rotterdam-Tangier and new UK links to Agadir and Marrakech.

Royal Air Maroc reached 70 aircraft in September 2026. Its contract with the state targets about 200 aircraft by 2037, and a large Boeing and Airbus order has been widely reported, but we found no announcement of a signed firm order as of September 2026.

Why seat capacity matters for holiday homes and rentals

For a holiday home, the nearest direct flight matters almost as much as the view. Frequent, affordable flights widen the pool of owners, guests and future resale buyers; a city that loses routes loses all three.

The rental data supports this. In the twelve months to July 2026, 94% of Airbnb guests in Marrakech were international, led by France (37.9%) and the UK (13.3%), according to AirROI. In Agadir, 92% were international, with the UK at 17.9%. Before letting, read our guide to short-term rental rules.

Marrakech: the second-busiest airport after Casablanca, an easyJet base and a rail link to Casablanca's long-haul hub targeted for 2029; the most exposed to congestion until the expansion is finished.
Agadir: strong UK and French demand and new winter routes, with a modest 5 million capacity target.
Tangier and the north: new direct links from Rotterdam and Geneva serve diaspora and European buyers, and Tétouan airport's peak-day traffic in summer 2026 was up 36%.
Rabat: the fastest-growing large airport in 2025 (+26%), now with a Ryanair base.
Essaouira: small but growing, with about 310,000 passengers in 2025 and a Nantes route announced by easyJet for winter 2026-27.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How many passengers did Moroccan airports handle in 2025?

36.3 million, a record. That was about 11% more than the 32.7 million of 2024 and 34% more than the 27.1 million of 2023, according to ONDA data. International passengers accounted for 32.4 million. Growth continued in 2026, with 22.3 million passengers in January-July, up 8.8% on the same period of 2025.

When will the new Casablanca airport terminal open?

In 2029, according to the government. The new Mohammed V terminal, costing about MAD 15bn, was launched in July 2025 and is due in service in 2029, adding 20 million passengers of capacity for an official total of 35 million. It will include a station on the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed line, also targeted for 2029.

Is Marrakech airport being expanded?

Yes. Under an expansion programme backed by an African Development Bank loan signed on 30 September 2026, Marrakech-Menara's capacity is targeted at 14 million passengers a year by 2030, against 10.2 million passengers in 2025. Published works include a new control tower, more aircraft parking, new taxiways and automated baggage handling. easyJet also chose Marrakech for its first African base, announced for spring 2026.

How many tourists arrive in Morocco by air?

About 70%, according to Le360's reporting on the airport plan in July 2025. With 19.8 million visitors in 2025 and 14.1 million in January-August 2026, airport capacity is a key physical constraint on tourism growth. The government targets 26 million visitors and 80 million passengers of airport capacity by 2030.

Has Royal Air Maroc ordered 200 new aircraft?

Not confirmed. Royal Air Maroc's 2023-2037 programme contract with the state targets a fleet of about 200 aircraft by 2037, and a tender was launched in April 2024. Large Boeing and Airbus orders have been widely reported, but we found no announcement of a signed firm order as of September 2026. The fleet reached 70 aircraft that month.

Do new flight routes raise property prices in Morocco?

Not directly, but they support demand. No study isolates an airport effect on Moroccan prices, and the official price index rose only 0.6% in 2025. Routes matter more for rental occupancy and resale liquidity: in Marrakech, 94% of Airbnb guests are international, according to AirROI. Homes near airports with growing direct routes are easier to use, let and sell.

Keep reading

Ports

Want a home close to direct flights?

Tell us which airports you fly from, and we will shortlist title-verified homes in the cities with the routes that suit you.

Request a private shortlist