Royal Air Maroc has announced that it will install Starlink satellite Wi-Fi on part of its fleet, making it the first African airline to commit to the technology. The announcement came on October 7, and installations are expected to begin in early 2027.
The airline plans to equip 41 aircraft out of a fleet of roughly 70. The announcement did not spell out which planes make the cut, but the likely candidates are its 787 Dreamliners and 737 MAX 8 jets, which together total about 32 aircraft, plus some of the older 737-800s. The current fleet also includes ATR 72-600 turboprops and Embraer E190s. Most of those aircraft have no Wi-Fi at all today, so the upgrade is a big step up.
The perk that stands out is the price: connectivity will be free for members of Royal Air Maroc’s Safar Flyer frequent flyer program. It is not yet clear whether passengers must have their membership number attached to the booking or simply belong to the program. Free, fast Wi-Fi has become a competitive weapon, with carriers such as United and KLM also moving toward Starlink.
No completion date has been given for the rollout. Smaller airlines tend to move more slowly than United, which has been fitting around 20 planes a week, so passengers should not expect a fully connected Royal Air Maroc fleet overnight. For travelers heading to Morocco through Casablanca, the first connected flights are likely to appear sometime in 2027.
Sources: One Mile at a Time
Stay In The Loop
Get new Travel News stories in your inbox.
Leave a Reply