Morocco plans $1.5b expansion of Casablanca airport ahead of 2030 World Cup

Morocco plans to invest 15b dirhams ($1.55b) to build a new terminal at its largest airport, Casablanca, to triple passenger numbers by the time Morocco co-hosts the 2030 soccer World Cup, its airports authority said on Thursday. The new terminal will serve as an African hub and will be connected to a high-speed train network that will link Kenitra to Marrakech, airports authority ONDA said in a statement. The train network is a separate project that has already been announced. Casablanca airport's expansion is part of a push to double Morocco's overall airport capacity to 78m to meet increasing traffic in the run-up to the World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. Casablanca airport will be able to handle 35m passengers by 2029, up from 10.5m currently, ONDA said. Morocco reported a record 17.4m visitors last year, up 20% on the previous year, and it expects to attract 26m tourists in 2030. Moroccan airline RAM also plan to quadruple its fleet to 200 by 2037.<br/>