Royal Air Maroc adds flights to LAX in time for the World Cup
Los Angeles is about to get a lot closer to Africa, in a manner of speaking.
Royal Air Maroc plans to launch service from Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) in Casablanca, Morocco, to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) starting in June. It will be LAX's only nonstop passenger service to Africa.
The flight will operate three times per week — Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays — starting June 7. LAX-bound flights depart CMN at 4 a.m. and arrive at 8:20 a.m., while eastbound service departs LAX at 10:20am and arrives the next day at 5:25 a.m. (all times local). The airline plans to use a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner for the route, which features 274 seats including 18 in business class.
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Royal Air Maroc, a Oneworld alliance member, will add Los Angeles as its fourth U.S. destination, alongside New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Miami International Airport (MIA) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.
It's unclear how much sustained demand Royal Air Maroc expects for the Los Angeles route, but it's likely to see a significant surge when the route launches: The inaugural flight comes just four days before the 2026 World Cup kicks off. The tournament — which is being jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico — will be played across 16 cities, including LA.
Morocco qualified for the World Cup, and on Friday was drawn into Group C for the initial stage of the tournament, where it will face off with Brazil, Haiti and Scotland. The U.S. will play in Group D against Paraguay, Australia and the winner of a pending European play-off match.
Once the tournament ends, it's possible that the airline will be able to continue growing demand by offering one-stop service from LAX to a wide range of destinations across Africa.
For those looking to travel to Morocco, the airline's Oneworld membership means it's possible to use miles from fellow alliance members American Airlines and Alaska Airlines to book these flights. (Although, at press time, the flights were not yet bookable.)
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