Driss Benhima, president of Royal Air Maroc, talked to me this morning here at the World Air Transport Forum about the planned privatisation of his carrier. Here is the story published on Air Transport Intelligence around midday.
Moroccan flag carrier Royal Air Maroc is on the blocks to be privatised next year. The country's government listed the carrier among several state-owned companies to be sold off in its recently announced budget bill.
The state has a 96.13% stake in Royal Air Maroc with both Air France and
Commenting on the announcement at the World Air Transport Forum in Paris, Driss Benhima, president of Royal Air Maroc, said: "I can't say what the privatisation of Royal Air Maroc will look like exactly as it is a process managed by the government but I understand the identification of a strategic partner is a higher priority compared with achieving a simple financial transaction."
The government's budget bill will be considered by the Moroccan parliament in the coming weeks and is scheduled to be passed by year-end. "The management of Royal Air Maroc will make its best effort to support whatever parliament and the government decide," said Benhima.
The privatisation of Royal Air Maroc is the next step in a major restructuring of the country's air transport policy and industry.
The market began to open to
In the first phase of the privatisation, expected to be completed during 2009, the government will sell around a 20% stake in the airline. A further stake could be sold at a later date and a public listing is envisaged in the second phase of the process in the coming years.
The government is seeking an airline partner for Royal Air Maroc to give the carrier access to larger global networks. The partner should also bring access to one of the global airline alliances.
This year Royal Air Maroc will make a small profit on revenues of some €1.2 billion ($1.5 billion), making it one of the few African carriers to remain in the black.
"Our fundamentals are very good but we need to work with a partner to build our management skills in areas like technology, yield management and pricing, network planning and maintenance," said Benhima.
The carrier has been steadily building its hub operations at
on January 2, 2009 11:49 PM | Reply
Dear Mr benhima,
au nom de tous les Marocains residents aux USA, on vous demande de revoir les prix de la RAM New your Casablanca, c vraiment trop cher pour les familles aussi bien que pour les celibataires, s'il vous plait faites quelque chose on aime notre pay, on aimerais bien s'y rendre chaque annee.
on January 24, 2009 4:30 AM | Reply
Dear Mr. Benhima,
I'm sending you this letter on behalf of all the Moroccan Immigrants in the United States of America.
We would love to visit our lovely country ''Morocco'' every summer, but the Royal Air Maroc ticket Prices made this dream almost impossible to come true. As you know, all immigrants work so hard to make better future for them and their kids, and therefore, they are looking forward for the summer vacation as an opportunity to visit their beloved ones, relax and teach their children more of their background, language, culture....etc.
Last year, I spent all of my savings wich was aproximately $4500 on the airline tickets wich is not fear. As you know, we work hard all year around to save this money, and finally when the summer vacation is here, we find ourselves divided into two parts {spend all the saving to go to our bled or stay in the us with broken harts}.
That's way, we're coming all together, to ask you to find an alternative to the summer crazy prices as soon as possible (more specials for the month of july. august and september) and to thank you in advance for your cooperation.
I hope that you'll take our E-mail seriousely.
Thank you again
on January 24, 2009 4:33 AM | Reply
Dear Mr. Benhima,
I'm sending you this letter on behalf of all the Moroccan Immigrants in the United States of America.
We would love to visit our lovely country ''Morocco'' every summer, but the Royal Air Maroc ticket Prices made this dream almost impossible to come true. As you know, all immigrants work so hard to make better future for them and their kids, and therefore, they are looking forward for the summer vacation as an opportunity to visit their beloved ones, relax and teach their children more of their background, language, culture....etc.
Last year, I spent all of my savings wich was aproximately $4500 on the airline tickets wich is not fear. As you know, we work hard all year around to save this money, and finally when the summer vacation is here, we find ourselves divided into two parts {spend all the saving to go to our bled or stay in the us with broken harts}.
That's way, we're coming all together, to ask you to find an alternative to the summer crazy prices as soon as possible (more specials for the month of july. august and september) and to thank you in advance for your cooperation.
I hope that you'll take our E-mail seriousely.
Thank you again
on January 24, 2009 4:37 AM | Reply
The prices are two high for us. Please do something about it or we'll make sure to travel with other airline as long as the weight is the same now.
on January 24, 2009 4:44 AM | Reply
To the person in charge of the tickets pricing in Royal Air Maroc.
Do you look around to see all the other airline ticket prices before you poison us with those non-sense prices?
I thing that you should use your common sense before and after pricing them and make sure that you're doing the wright thing to your immigrant brothers and sisters. A proud Moroccan girl
on January 24, 2009 4:53 AM | Reply
A Monsieur Benhima,
Les prix des tickets sont vraiment tres chers et avec la situation actuelle aux etats units, on ne poura jamais visiter notre pays meme si on veut. Si le moment ou jamais de s'y mettre a l'action. On veut voir ce que vous pouvez faire pour les immigres aux usa.
Merci beaucoup et a tres bientot
on January 24, 2009 4:54 AM | Reply
A Monsieur Benhima,
Les prix des tickets sont vraiment tres chers et avec la situation actuelle aux etats units, on ne poura jamais visiter notre pays meme si on veut. Si le moment ou jamais de s'y mettre a l'action. On veut voir ce que vous pouvez faire pour les immigres aux usa.
Merci beaucoup et a tres bientot
on January 24, 2009 4:55 AM | Reply
A Monsieur Benhima,
Les prix des tickets sont vraiment tres chers et avec la situation actuelle aux etats units, on ne poura jamais visiter notre pays meme si on veut. Si le moment ou jamais de s'y mettre a l'action. On veut voir ce que vous pouvez faire pour les immigres aux usa.
Merci beaucoup et a tres bientot
on February 22, 2009 1:58 AM | Reply
The price fits the new name R.A.M=rein au marocans
on April 15, 2009 3:23 PM | Reply
New York: April 15, 2009
Mr.Driss Benhima
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Royal Air Maroc
Mohammed V International Airport
Anfa,
Casablanca 20200, MOROCCO
Dear Mr. Benhima:
I write you with several complaints about Royal Air Maroc, which I have flown on numerous times for 26 years, on international flights from North America and within Morocco. I am also a member of the Safar frequent flier program. This Safar program has turned into a complete joke within the past few years because the "free" trip which I used to obtain for flying tens of thousands of miles is now very expensive, with the government or airline tax of over 2,000 Moroccan dirhams. I used to look forward to a free trip as a benefit from using RAM, and now the tax is equivalent to the price of a ticket, for instance, from Tanger to Agadir. This is no free ticket, and if this is how your airline "rewards" its regular customers, then it is time to look for alternative airlines.
Every year, for the past 10 years, your round-trip prices have increased from $100 US Dollars to $200 US Dollars. What used to cost $960 now is over $1,700. Will it be $1,900 next year?, and will Royal Air Maroc's airfare from New York JFK to Tangier (TNG) for instance, be $2,100 in 2011?
Your airline has just announced the purchase of new airlines. That's fine, even in these difficult economic times. But you are pricing your airline out of the financial reach of average tourists and regular customers who have used Royal Air Maroc for years for their annual holidays, particularly from North America.
There is no alternative but to look for other airlines to get to Morocco. Your airline has become ridiculously expensive, and it is most unfortunate that the once-high standards of service have declined as well. While I do not claim to speak for everyone who flies Royal Air Maroc, I do feel that you and the others need to re-think your pricing. You'd have many more happy fliers. And the Safar taxes are prohibitively high, so you really cannot say that it is a free trip when the taxes are nearly equal to the regular price of a ticket. RAM's Safar frequent flier program is an example of how not to run a frequent flier program. Nothing is free. Yes, security taxes are perhaps necessary, but a 2,000 dirham tax on a "free" reward is hardly a free ticket. It did not used to be this way, but suddenly, without warning, the Safar program changed a few years ago, much to my disappointed. I am sure that I am not alone.
With hopeful anticipation for a change in your airline's policies regarding pricing and RAM's Safar program taxes, fees and surcharges.
Sincerely,
A very unhappy long-time customer of Royal Air Maroc
on July 31, 2009 11:45 AM | Reply
Mr.Benhima,Driss
I guess you shouldn't privatise the RAM just for selling stakes which really means the steaks such as New York sirlion steak from Las Vegas casinos in Nevada,USA.Instead of privatising,you can get help from some of our friends in USA who are willing to run the airline for Morroco from increasing the passenger sales to boosting the airline profits for the country's interest and for the recognition of the country in the world market,as we're aware of for almost every airline that's flying higher without getting the support from America.Anyways,we're ready to help your airline as we've seen one of your crews in a photograph and has raised friendship and are helping your staff for running your RAM the way it is for maintaining our friendship.And just for the sake of friendship with the RAM crews ,we from America are ready to help RAM too as well as several other airlines that are helped by us.
We'll stay in touch with the RAM news.
Good Luck!
Thanks.
on November 4, 2009 10:47 AM | Reply
Hello everyone,
I believe that RAM as an airline had so much advantage compare to other airlines in the industry.
Situated in north Africa(Morocco) it s a very strategic place for the global airline traffic.Casablanca Marrakesh and Tangier can be 3 good hubs in Morocco for RAM .
I flew RAM so many times but there is something missing there, i believe it s the management,lack of Marketing and technology to be implemented on RAM politic.
Look at the other airlines who started just recently but they are among the growing airlines in the world now.
If management will invest in a proper way RAM will be one of the best airlines in Africa and the world.
I hope that you do understand what is my message is.
on November 4, 2009 10:48 AM | Reply
Hello everyone,
I believe that RAM as an airline had so much advantage compare to other airlines in the industry.
Situated in north Africa(Morocco) it s a very strategic place for the global airline traffic.Casablanca Marrakesh and Tangier can be 3 good hubs in Morocco for RAM .
I flew RAM so many times but there is something missing there, i believe it s the management,lack of Marketing and technology to be implemented on RAM politic.
Look at the other airlines who started just recently but they are among the growing airlines in the world now.
If management will invest in a proper way RAM will be one of the best airlines in Africa and the world.
I hope that you do understand what is my message is.
on November 4, 2009 10:50 AM | Reply
Hello everyone,
I believe that RAM as an airline had so much advantage compare to other airlines in the industry.
Situated in north Africa(Morocco) it s a very strategic place for the global airline traffic.Casablanca Marrakesh and Tangier can be 3 good hubs in Morocco for RAM .
I flew RAM so many times but there is something missing there, i believe it s the management,lack of Marketing and technology to be implemented on RAM politic.
Look at the other airlines who started just recently but they are among the growing airlines in the world now.
If management will invest in a proper way RAM will be one of the best airlines in Africa and the world.
I hope that you do understand what is my message is.
on November 4, 2009 10:52 AM | Reply
Hello everyone,
I believe that RAM as an airline had so much advantage compare to other airlines in the industry.
Situated in north Africa(Morocco) it s a very strategic place for the global airline traffic.Casablanca Marrakesh and Tangier can be 3 good hubs in Morocco for RAM .
I flew RAM so many times but there is something missing there, i believe it s the management,lack of Marketing and technology to be implemented on RAM politic.
Look at the other airlines who started just recently but they are among the growing airlines in the world now.
If management will invest in a proper way RAM will be one of the best airlines in Africa and the world.
I hope that you do understand what is my message is.
on November 4, 2009 10:52 AM | Reply
Hello everyone,
I believe that RAM as an airline had so much advantage compare to other airlines in the industry.
Situated in north Africa(Morocco) it s a very strategic place for the global airline traffic.Casablanca Marrakesh and Tangier can be 3 good hubs in Morocco for RAM .
I flew RAM so many times but there is something missing there, i believe it s the management,lack of Marketing and technology to be implemented on RAM politic.
Look at the other airlines who started just recently but they are among the growing airlines in the world now.
If management will invest in a proper way RAM will be one of the best airlines in Africa and the world.
I hope that you do understand what is my message is.