Moroccan airports have recorded a volume of commercial passenger traffic of 2,473,988 passengers during the first half of 2021, against 11,669,548 passengers during the same period of 2019, that is to say a drop of about 78.8 percent, according to a press release from the National Office of Airports (ONDA).
The Mohammed V airport of Casablanca, which represents half of the global passenger traffic, has thus suffered from January to June 2021, a drop of 73.48 percent compared to the same period of 2019, i.e. 1,238,912 passengers against 4,670,924 passengers received during H1-2019, ONDA said.
During the period from Tuesday 15 June 2021 to Wednesday 30 June 2021, Moroccan airports received 476,542 passengers through 4,704 flights, the same source said, adding that this traffic represents 45 percent of the international passenger traffic received during the same period in 2019.
Moreover, ONDA indicates that domestic air traffic, with 652,147 passengers welcomed during the first half of 2021, has recorded a regression of 53.68 percent compared to the same period of 2019.
International air traffic, which accounts for almost 74 percent of total traffic, recorded 1,821,841 passengers, down 82.25 percent, compared to the first quarter of 2019.
This declining result concerns all markets, especially Europe which represents more than 72 percent of the overall air traffic, with a regression of 83.88 percent compared to the same period of 2019.
During the first half of 2021, there were 30,091 airport movements, down by 69.54 percent, compared to the same period of 2019. The share of Mohammed V airport is 49.94 percent of this traffic, Tangier Ibn Battouta (9.64 percent and Marrakech Menara (9.09 percent).
The air freight has shown during the first half of 2021, a reduction of 27.64 percent compared to the same period in 2019. It stood at 35,236.72 tonnes, against 48,696.31 tonnes in the first half of 2019.
HA/fss/abj/APA