Marrakech-Menara Airport Achieves Prestigious Recognition
Marrakech-Menara Airport has made a significant leap in the aviation sector by being crowned "Best Regional Airport in Africa" at the 2026 World Airport Awards, organized by Skytrax. This accolade elevates the airport to a prominent position on the continental stage, improving from its fourth place ranking in the previous year. The award ceremony took place on March 18 in London, celebrating the airport's advances in service quality, passenger flow efficiency, and infrastructure modernization.
This international recognition is based on a comprehensive satisfaction survey conducted by Skytrax, which gathered feedback from travelers representing over 100 nationalities between August 2025 and February 2026. The survey evaluated various criteria including staff friendliness, cleanliness, signage, queue management, commercial services, and overall terminal comfort. The progress of Marrakech-Menara Airport exemplifies the growing acceptance of Morocco’s airport development model, which is driven by the ONDA’s "Airports 2030" strategy. This strategy focuses on digitalization, terminal modernization, and optimizing passenger flows in preparation for significant events such as the 2030 World Cup.
Continental Landscape of African Airports
The 2026 Skytrax Awards once again recognized Cape Town International Airport as the best airport in Africa for the eleventh consecutive year, followed closely by O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Marrakech-Menara ranks prominently behind these two South African airports, establishing itself firmly in the upper echelon of airport rankings. Additionally, King Shaka International Airport in Durban has also secured a spot in the top five, confirming its strong performance in the regional airport categories. Casablanca-Mohammed V Airport, Morocco's main hub, continues to hold its ground in the top five African airports, reinforcing its role as a vital transit point between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
The dual recognition of Moroccan airports in the upper ranks illustrates the enhancement of the national airport network and its increasing appeal to international travelers. Marrakech-Menara has been honored as the best regional airport in Africa, while Casablanca-Mohammed V maintains its position among the top five major African airports. These results reflect the concerted efforts between ONDA and institutional partners, including security authorities, safety services, customs, local authorities, and ministries, to elevate Moroccan airports to the highest international standards of operational performance and customer experience.
As reported by aeronautique.ma.
