In a significant legal decision, the Paris Administrative Court has annulled a €10,000 fine imposed on Royal Air Maroc for transporting a Kenyan passenger to Paris without a Schengen visa. The case arose when the French Ministry of the Interior penalized the airline for allegedly allowing the passenger to disembark in Paris from a flight originating in Casablanca without the necessary visa. However, the court ruled in favor of Royal Air Maroc, citing that the traveler was simply in transit and did not require a visa for her connection.
The incident occurred on March 7, 2024, when the passenger arrived at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport. She was scheduled to take another flight on the same day to Addis Ababa, with plans to continue her journey to Nairobi on March 8. Her booking details confirmed this travel itinerary, and she possessed a valid passport along with the necessary permissions to reach her final destination.
On October 15, 2024, the French authorities demanded €10,000 from Royal Air Maroc, claiming that the airline had transported a foreign national without a visa. The airline contested this assertion, emphasizing that no visa was required for passengers remaining in the international transit area.
Legal Ruling Clarifies Visa Requirements
In its judgment dated June 11, 2026, the court evaluated the applicable regulations and confirmed that Kenya is not listed among the nationalities subjected to airport transit visa requirements in Europe or on the supplementary French list. Therefore, the traveler was permitted to remain in the international zone without needing a Schengen visa or a transit visa.
A complicating factor in the case was that the passenger left the international transit area after her arrival. However, the judges clarified that the obligations of the airline should not be conflated with the subsequent actions of the passenger. Since the exit from the transit zone occurred after disembarkation, it could not be attributed to Royal Air Maroc.
The court noted that Royal Air Maroc had appropriately checked the passenger's passport, connecting ticket, and other necessary documents for her onward travel. As a result, the Ministry of the Interior's application of the rules regarding airline sanctions was deemed incorrect.
Consequently, the decision made on October 15, 2024, was overturned. The €10,000 fine was rescinded, and the state was ordered to compensate Royal Air Maroc €1,500 for its legal expenses.
As reported by bladi.net.
