ONMT and United Airlines launch the first direct flight from New York to Marrakech

The Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) is continuing its “Light in action” action plan with a major action: the first direct New York-Marrakech flight. The plane just landed this morning on the tarmac of Marrakech-Menara airport.

Operated by United Airlines, this airline represents the first point-to-point connection of an American company with Morocco and North Africa and after the signing in March 2024 of an agreement and an unprecedented history between the ONMT and United Airlines.

To celebrate the first flight of this new route, a large delegation from United Airlines, led by Patrick Quayle, the company’s Senior Vice President of Global Network and Alliances, made the trip. She was welcomed at Marrakech airport by a high-level Moroccan delegation made up of ONMT teams and Moroccan tourism operators led by Hamid Bentahar, President of the National Tourism Confederation (CNT).

Fam trip to benefit 35 American travel advisors

In addition to the United Airlines delegation, the flight included 35 travel consultants from the two largest American groups specializing in luxury travel, namely Signature Travel Network and Virtuoso, which has more than 32,000 travel agents.

The ONMT had signed strategic partnership agreements with these two major networks in June 2023 to strengthen Morocco’s destination in the American market. These travel advisors will therefore find the destination Marrakech but also Casablanca, Rabat, Essaouira and Agafay.

The historic New York-Marrakech route is operated with three weekly frequencies (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), in a Boeing 767-300 with 167 seats configured with United Airlines award cabins: Polaris, Premium Plus and Premium business Economy.

By launching this new direct route in partnership with United Airlines, the ONMT is strengthening its strategy on the American market, with the ultimate goal of reaching one million American tourists. visits Morocco every year.