Mohammed V International Airport

Mohammed V International AirportTemplate:Efn Template:Airport codes is an international airport serving Casablanca, Morocco. Located in Nouaceur Province, it is operated by ONDA (Template:Lang).

With about 7.6 million passengers passing through the airport in 2022, it was the busiest airport in Morocco and in the top 10 of busiest airports in Africa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Passenger traffic in 2022 had recovered to 74% of the total pre-pandemic numbers of 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The airport serves as hub for Royal Air Maroc,<ref name="Royal Air Maroc sees fleet, hub growth ahead of oneworld membership" /> Royal Air Maroc Express and Air Arabia Maroc. Template:Cn-span

History

Transatlantic routes from Casablanca, September 1945

Terminal 1 interior

Arrivals area

Departure gates

Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737–800

1940s

The Casablanca Mohammed V Airport was originally built by the United States in early 1943 following Operation Torch in World War II. It was named Berrechid Airfield and it served as an auxiliary airfield for Casablanca's Anfa Airport.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The airfield handled diverse military traffic as a stopover en route to Port Lyautey Airfield, and to Marrakech Airport on the North African Cairo-Dakar route. In addition, it was the terminus of Mid-Atlantic route transatlantic flights via the Azores to Nova Scotia and airfields on the East Coast of the United States.

In addition to its transportation role, the airfield supported the North African Campaign with the Twelfth Air Force 68th Reconnaissance Group operating photo-reconnaissance versions of the P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang. Part of the 68th first arrived at Angads Airport in Oujda in November 1942 and moved to Berrechid in March 1943 upon its completion. It flew both antisubmarine missions over the Atlantic and photo-reconnaissance combat missions over German-held territory until early September when it moved east to Massicault Airfield in Tunisia. With the end of the war in 1945, the airfield was handed over to the civil government.

1950s

During the Cold War in the early and middle 1950s, the airfield was reopened as Nouasseur Air Base and was used as a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command staging area for B-47 Stratojet bombers pointed at the Soviet Union. These operations later moved to Ben Guerir Air Base.

With the destabilisation of French government in Morocco, and Moroccan independence in 1956, the government of Mohammed V wanted the US Air Force to pull its bases out of Morocco, insisting on such action after American intervention in Lebanon in 1958. The United States agreed to leave in December 1959, and was fully out of Morocco by 1963. The U.S. felt that, with the long range of the B-52 and completion of Spanish bases in 1959, the Moroccan bases were no longer important.

2020s

In 2022, Mohammed V Airport was ranked the 4th busiest airport in Africa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

New terminal project (2025–2029)

In May 2025 Morocco’s airports authority Moroccan Airports Authority launched an international tender to build a new H-shaped terminal at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca at an estimated cost of US $1.6 billion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The terminal, designed in a “hub-style”, will increase capacity from roughly 15 million to 35 million passengers per year. It will form part of Morocco’s Airports 2030 strategy and is expected to be completed by 2029 in time for the 2030 FIFA World Cup which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The expansion project features:

• A new 3,700 m parallel runway, extended taxiways and a new 42 m air traffic control tower.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• An integrated high-speed rail (LGV) station linking the airport with Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech via the Al Boraq line.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Earthworks began in mid-2025 with main construction slated to follow and full operation targeted for 2029.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport:

Traffic

Traffic<ref name="pax">Template:Cite web</ref>	2010		2009		2008		2007		2006		2005		2004	Average growth 2004–2009
Aircraft movements<ref name="pax"/>	n/a	–	69,119	+1.11%	68,362	−2.5%	70,080	+7.6%	65,111	+9.2%	59,621	+13.9%	52,336	+5.86%
Passengers<ref name="pax"/>	7,245,508<ref name="Traffic-Dec2010">Template:Cite press release</ref>	+13,28	6,395,862	+2.95%	6,209,711	+6.0%	5,858,192	+15.5%	5,071,411	+12.1%	4,456,639	+17.1%	3,803,479	+10.73%
Freight (tons)<ref name="pax"/>	n/a	–	53,469	-6.06%	56,919	−6.5%	60,682	+9.3%	55,673	+10.7%	50,285	+6.5%	47,152	+2.79%

Ground transport

The train station in Casablanca Mohammed V Airport

Rail

The Al Bidaoui train service, operated by ONCF from 04:00 to 23:00, is available every hour and connects the airport to Casablanca's two main railway stations, Casa-Port Railway Terminal and Casa-Voyageurs Railway Station.<ref>Template:In lang ONCF transfère la desserte de l’AEROPORT Mohamed V À CASA-PORT Template:Webarchive</ref>

Car

• From Casablanca main access is by A3 Motorway;
• From Rabat by A1 Motorway through Tit Mellil and Road N9;
• From Beni Mellal by A4 Motorway;
• From Marrakech by A3 Motorway exit km 225;
• From El Jadida by A1 Motorway and A3 Motorway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Incidents and accidents

• On 1 April 1970, a Royal Air Maroc Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle crashed on approach to Casablanca Mohammed V airport when it lost control at a height of about 500 feet. The fuselage broke in two. Sixty-one of the eighty-two passengers and crew were killed.<ref name="airsafe">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Transport in Morocco

External links

• Mohammed V International Airport
• Moroccan Airports Authority
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