This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship — the Moroccan airline Royal Air Maroc Thursday announced it will launch nonstop service between LAX and Casablanca next year, marking what the carrier said will be the first direct air link between the U.S. Pacific Coast and Africa.
Of all the airports in all the towns in all the world, Royal Air Maroc chose LAX because the new route to Los Angeles “embodies our ambition to bring Morocco closer to major global economic, tourism, and cultural hubs,” Hamid Addou, the airline’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
The route, featuring 11-hour flights, will launch June 7 and operate three times per week — and it “responds to growing intercontinental travel demand ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026,” the airline said.
“The route will serve the Moroccan and African diasporas, American tourists, business travelers, as well as soccer fans traveling from Morocco, Africa, and Europe to the United States for this worldwide celebration,” the company added.
For those making plans that far ahead, the June 7 debut will come about a week before the U.S. men’s national soccer team opens its World Cup play on June 12 at SoFi Stadium with a match against Paraguay. That’s one of eight World Cup matches the Inglewood venue will host next year.
Flights in each direction, featuring Boeing 787 Dreamliners, will run Tuesdays, Fridays, Sundays.
More information is available at royalairmaroc.com.