Royal Air Maroc receives new Boeing 737 MAX 8 and expands its fleet to 69 aircraft

Royal Air Maroc received, on Thursday, August 27, 2026 at Casablanca Airport, a new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft with registration number CN-RHR, raising the size of its fleet to 69 aircraft. This is the 18th Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft that the National Air Transport Company integrates into its fleet, while the number of Boeing single-aisle aircraft operated by the company has reached 45. Mid-range fleet enhancement The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is one of the cornerstones of the Royal Air Maroc fleet Medium range, nominated to keep pace with the gradual expansion of its network of destinations. The delivery of this aircraft comes at a time when Boeing is facing industrial obstacles and delays in its production programs, due to manufacturing problems and tensions in the supply chain, in addition to the delay in the approval of some versions of the Max model. Reuters reported last July that Boeing is close to getting regulatory approval for a modification to the Max engine's antifreeze system, a necessary condition for the progress of the Max 7 and Max 10 programs. Earlier, the management of Royal Air Maroc succeeded in convincing Boeing to advance the delivery date of two aircraft originally programmed for 2026 to 2025. A plan to increase the fleet to 200 aircraft by 2037 is part of the program contract signed between the state and Royal Air Maroc in July 2023, which aims to quadruple the size of the fleet to 200 aircraft by 2037, as part of the company's endeavor to consolidate Casablanca's position as a regional air hub and expand its international network. Awsamah Al-Farsi explained, Head of the Engineering Department of Royal Air Maroc, that "the company's development plan envisages the integration of between 10 and 15 aircraft per year on average, and each aircraft is subject to a strict technical series to ensure its conformity with international standards and the company's standards." In April 2024, Royal Air Maroc launched a request for proposals for up to 200 new aircraft, which was invited to key aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and ATR. Pending the conclusion of this major transaction, the Company relies on intermediate deliveries and leases; Reuters reported in November 2025 that the company plans to lease up to 13 aircraft per year, before reaching a delivery pace of about 15 new aircraft per year starting in 2028. Keeping pace with the expansion of the international network This policy comes in response to the continued expansion of the Royal Air Maroc network, which in recent months has opened new direct routes towards major economic and tourism capitals, including Beijing, Sao Paulo, Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, Manchester and N'Djamena.