Airport Guide

History of Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport

As with many European airports, Morocco's main terminal can trace its origins back to the Second World War.

An air base for bombers from the United States Air Force during that conflict, it remained in active service as a key strategic point in the Cold War throughout the 1950s.

However, after the US military left Morocco in the wake of political changes, the airport gradually began to shift over to accepting civilian aircraft, first from neighbouring Spain and then from further afield.

The biggest developments, however, have occurred in recent years as low-cost flight operators introduced north Africa onto their route maps, allowing passengers from all across Europe easy and affordable access to another continent.

Travelling to Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport

By far the easiest way of getting from the airport to downtown Casablanca is by train.

Regular shuttle services depart throughout the day from Terminal 1, taking around half an hour to reach the heart of the city, with tickets noticeably cheap for passengers arriving from Europe.

Cheaper still is the bus service operated by CTM, though, given the congestion on the city's roads, journey times are double those of the train.

Additionally, dozens of taxis can be found right outside the airport's main terminal building, while car hire is also available, with this latter option giving travellers the option of getting out of the city and into the surrounding mountains.

Airlines flying from Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport

Casablanca airport serves as the principal hub of Morocco's national carrier Royal Air Maroc, which operates dozens of national and international flights.

Among the domestic destinations offered by the flagship airline are Fez, Marrakech and Tangiers, while international flights are available to Algiers, Barcelona, Brussels, Cairo, Lagos, London, Madrid, Paris and Zurich.

Also flying out of Casablanca is Moroccan budget airline Jet4you, which offers cheap flights to Bologna, Brussels, Geneva, Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Milan and Toulouse.

Affordable flights across North Africa and the Mediterranean are operated by Regional Airlines, which flies to, among other destinations, Agadir, Errachidia, Tangiers, Valencia and Villa Cisneros.

Other low-cost airlines flying from across Europe to Casablanca include Clickair, easyJet, Jetairfly and Edelweiss Air, while a number of other national carriers, such as Iberia, Alitalia and Lufthansa also have the Moroccan city on their destinations list.