Washington, D.C. – Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national and largest airline with routes spanning over 90 destinations worldwide and 28 in Africa, has formalized its inaugural partnership agreement (MOU) with humanitarian relief nonprofit Airlink. This collaboration marks a significant commitment by the airline to transport 50 tons of humanitarian cargo over the next year, in addition to providing passenger tickets for humanitarian personnel and a charitable cash donation to support Airlink operations.

The new partnership marks a pivotal step in enhancing the reach and impact of Airlink’s humanitarian response efforts in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Royal Air Maroc’s extensive Africa route network will significantly expand Airlink’s operational capabilities, particularly in West and Central Africa, including the Sahel region, where communities endure severe impacts from prolonged and complex humanitarian crises. These crises are compounded by climate shocks, violence, food insecurity, and forced displacement, affecting 33 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance and protection; this need continues to grow while resources for the region have remained stagnant. The collaboration between Royal Air Maroc and Airlink will help NGOs address the most pressing needs of communities in crisis throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Actively responding NGOs within Airlink’s network of 200+ relief partners face significant operational hurdles in the region due to geographical challenges and high air access costs. Barriers to response also include limited infrastructure, rising aid costs that surpass a lack of humanitarian funding, and navigating remote, insecure areas with security threats, all of which hinder reliable transportation to reach those in need.

Royal Air Maroc’s support will notably benefit crisis-affected communities in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (including refugees from Sudan), the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and Niger. Additionally, it will support humanitarian needs and strengthen health systems in Sierra Leone and the Middle East. These regions, often underserved and overlooked as long-term humanitarian crises, will be prioritized in the partnership.

“Under the strategic vision and impulsion of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco is relentlessly working to develop South-South Cooperation and is acting, in particular, for the development of Africa and the well-being of African communities. Therefore, this partnership with Airlink fits perfectly within our vision and mission in a common objective of continental solidarity,” says Abdelhamid ADDOU, Chairman Of the Board and CEO of Royal Air Maroc.

“A key priority for Airlink is expanding our regional focus across Africa’s diverse regions, actively incorporating our humanitarian partners’ locally-informed perspectives to develop flexible and tailored operational strategies,” says Steven J. Smith, Airlink President and CEO. “Royal Air Maroc’s support will increase Airlink’s capacity to transport humanitarian aid and assistance to countries where partners face significant barriers to response, such as Cameroon and the Central African Republic in the Sahel. We are eager to embark on this partnership journey and are thrilled to have their support.”

Nonprofit Airlink builds partnerships with aviation sector businesses, like Royal Air Maroc, to provide free air transport and logistical coordination to a vetted network of 200+ humanitarian relief and disaster response nonprofits. In 2023, Airlink responded to 48 emergencies, transporting 1,646 skilled responders and over 2,300 tons of humanitarian aid. The aid they transported, including health, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), food, and shelter assistance, reached over 13 million people.

Since 2010, Airlink has saved its nonprofit partners over $36 million in air transport costs, allowing these organizations to redirect resources toward purchasing humanitarian aid, funding service delivery, and expanding in-country programs.

About Airlink:

Airlink is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization delivering critical aid to communities in crisis by providing free airlift and logistical solutions to vetted nonprofit partners, changing how the humanitarian community responds to disasters worldwide. Its network includes over 200 aid organizations and over 50 commercial and charter airlines. Since its inception in 2010, Airlink has flown over 12,000 relief workers and transported nearly 17 million pounds of humanitarian cargo, directly helping over 59 million people impacted by natural and man-made disasters. For more information, please visit airlinkflight.org or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X.

About Royal Air Maroc:

Morocco’s flag carrier Royal Air Maroc, present in Africa since its creation in 1957, is a leading airline in the continent. Royal Air Maroc has a young fleet of around 50 planes and connects Morocco’s main airports to more than 90 airports around the world.

In July 2023, Royal Air Maroc embarked on a journey toward a new dimension by signing a 2023–37 program contract with the government. The objective is to elevate Royal Air Maroc’s positioning from regional operator to global carrier, quadruple its current fleet to 200 aircraft and ensure the transportation of 32 million passengers per year by 2037.

By joining oneworld in 2020, Royal Air Maroc was the first African company to be part of this prestigious alliance. The partnership with oneworld, which includes the most beautiful world references in air transport, allows Morocco to connect with a network of more than 520 million travelers and 900 destinations in 170 countries.

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Kniffin, ekniffin@airlinkflight.org

Sara El Ouerbi, selouerbi@royalairmaroc.com