Air Arabia, which serves six cities in Morocco, threatens to leave Montpellier airport

Present for about ten years on the tarmac of Montpellier, the company Air Arabia threatens to close its six lines in the face of competition, towards Morocco, from Ryanair to Nîmes. MAXPPP – Jean-Luc Flémal

The company is concerned about the increase in frequencies operated by Ryanair from Nîmes airport, to Fez and Marrakech. Two of the destinations from Montpellier.

This time, Emmanuel Brehmer issued a serious warning last week during the supervisory board of the Montpellier Méditerranée airport company (SAMM). The chairman of the board of directors alerted his members to the increasingly serious threat posed by the management of the Moroccan company.

“He warned us that Air Arabia is considering leaving Montpellier because the competition with Nîmes is becoming quite serious, comments a member of the supervisory board. Ryanair, which serves Fez and Marrakech, two destinations operated by Air Arabia, has increased to five frequencies per week. This inevitably impacts their profitability".

"There will inevitably be some damage"

The chairman of the SAMM board of directors thus places the members of the supervisory board, and beyond that the company's shareholders, before their responsibilities. "The communities, the Occitanie Region first and foremost, are highlighting the economic benefits to motivate their support for regional airports, recalls, an annoyed member of the board. Except that here, we are in real competition and there will inevitably be some damage”.

Air Arabia has been present on the Montpellier tarmac for about ten years. At the time, the management of Montpellier Méditerranée airport had pulled off a great coup. It had been one of the first to attract this company, which was then setting up in France, by developing air links to cities in Morocco. Montpellier had even managed to divert the Air Arabia establishment project, which had initially favoured an establishment in Marseille.

“EasyJet left Toulouse because of Ryanair”

Air Arabia offers five destinations from Montpellier: Fez, Marrakech, Tangier, Oujda, Casablanca and Nador. Last year, it transported 200,000 passengers. “It would be a big blow if we lost them”, assures our member of the supervisory board. Who makes the parallel: “If easyJet left Toulouse, it's because of Ryanair”. Questioned by Midi Libre, Emmanuel Brehmer refused to comment.

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