Moroccan Airports See Record Passenger Numbers Amid Service Quality Concerns
As the National Office of Airports continues to announce a significant increase in passenger numbers and positive growth indicators in air transport, questions are rising regarding the quality of services offered at various Moroccan airports. There is a growing concern about the ability of airport administrations to keep pace with this development, amid criticisms related to cleanliness, waiting times, weak communication, and deficiencies affecting some essential facilities. This discrepancy between the impressive statistics highlighted in official reports and the daily experiences shared by travelers raises an important question: how can there be discussions about modernizing airports and enhancing Morocco's aerial image while complaints regarding basic services still persist?
Statistics reveal that Moroccan airports welcomed 26 million and 40 thousand and 927 passengers during the first eight months of 2026, marking an 8.81% increase compared to the same period last year. Additionally, aircraft movements rose to 190 thousand and 342, while air freight grew by 13.82%. These figures reflect the dynamism within the sector, but they also present a greater challenge for officials than merely accommodating more flights: ensuring that investments and expansions translate into tangible services, where passengers find clean, organized, and well-equipped airports, and where issues are addressed promptly and transparently.
While quantitative growth is an indicator of expanding activity, the quality of service is the true measure of management success. Passengers do not evaluate an airport based solely on the number of flights it handles but based on their entire experience, from the clarity of information and the smoothness of procedures to the cleanliness of facilities, the speed of baggage claim, and the respect for their dignity and time.
Fez-Saïs Airport: Major Expansion Raises Critical Questions
At the heart of this discussion is Fez-Saïs Airport, which is expected to serve as a vital air gateway for the scientific capital and the Fez-Meknes region, keeping pace with upcoming international events and tourism transformations. However, local criticisms regarding the state of certain facilities and services raise a fundamental question: can the current administration address existing deficiencies before embarking on the significant expansion phase?
The National Office of Airports has initiated a project to expand and rehabilitate the airport with an investment nearing 500 million dirhams, which includes the construction of a new terminal spanning approximately 46 thousand square meters and aims to increase the targeted capacity to five million passengers annually, up from the currently declared capacity of two to two and a half million passengers per year. These figures raise the stakes beyond merely constructing additional buildings or expanding passenger reception areas. True expansion should encompass updating technical infrastructure, enhancing maintenance and sanitation systems, improving services, providing adequate health facilities, refining internal organization, and ensuring the rapid resolution of any deficiencies, which may intensify with increased passenger traffic.
The critical question that arises is: what is the purpose of injecting hundreds of millions of dirhams into the expansion of an airport if some existing facility issues remain unresolved? Will the project include a comprehensive solution for sanitation and drainage networks and associated equipment, or will these aspects be sidelined until new problems arise? Any expansion project cannot be evaluated solely based on the size of the financial allocations or the area of the new terminal but rather on its ability to resolve current issues and prevent their transfer to the new infrastructure.
One of the most sensitive issues raised in local media has been the state of the sewage systems at Fez-Saïs Airport and the absence of a direct connection intended to allow wastewater to be disposed of through a dedicated network. Reports indicate unpleasant odors around the airport entrance, with claims that wastewater is being discharged onto neighboring agricultural lands, amidst discussions of incomplete connections to the main drainage channel linked to the Ouled Tayeb area, located about two kilometers from the airport.
If these claims are confirmed, the issue transcends mere cleanliness or a technical detail that can be postponed; it touches on public health, environmental protection, and the quality of reception within a facility that is supposed to reflect Morocco's image to incoming visitors. The existence of an airport receiving international flights and passengers from various nationalities, while complaints about unpleasant smells and wastewater disposal surround it, compels the responsible authorities to clarify the situation, determine accountability for the drainage networks associated with the airport, and disclose the technical solutions adopted or planned to address the problem.
Moreover, local data expresses concerns regarding the use of tankers to transport wastewater and dispose of it in unclear locations, including unidentified channels or areas. This poses a significant risk if proven to be true and should not be treated as a mere detail in facility management because the transport of wastewater does not relieve the responsible party of the obligation to dispose of it in licensed locations according to environmental and health regulations.
Thus, a technical field inspection by the relevant authorities is required, alongside an assessment of the wastewater disposal routes, verification of the condition of the pipes and discharge points, and review of contracts or services related to the transport of this water, with the results and measures taken to address any proven deficiencies being made public. It should also be clarified whether the connection project to the sewage network is technically feasible, which parties are responsible for its implementation, and what the timeline is for its completion if necessary. Citizens and travelers do not require generic explanations; they seek clear answers: where does the airport's wastewater go, how is it disposed of, and who is responsible for ensuring the safety of the process?
Until a formal clarification supported by technical data is issued, these claims remain a subject that warrants verification, rather than a final judgment regarding the existence of environmental violations or the identification of their perpetrator.
Furthermore, the questions surrounding facilities are intertwined with those relating to the management responsible for overseeing the airport and monitoring daily services. Recent local criticisms have highlighted the issue of the presence of administrative officials and the extent to which management responds to complaints and observations regarding facility conditions and service quality. In this context, observers are questioning the new director of Fez-Saïs Airport regarding his visibility in the field and his communication regarding the identified deficiencies, particularly when the facility requires an active management capable of explaining what is happening and holding those responsible for services, maintenance, and cleanliness accountable.
Critiques suggest that the new director is not present to the extent that matches the magnitude of the challenges, and that his visibility on communication regarding the current situation is limited. However, objectively proving this would require reviewing the management's work program, field meetings, and reports, distinguishing between media absence and actual absence from facility management. Local circles also circulate impressions regarding the influence of some senior and veteran employees on the management of files within the airport, and whether the new administration possesses the necessary practical authority to implement decisions and monitor performance. These are questions that should not be transformed into personal accusations without evidence but deserve a response from the National Office of Airports regarding the distribution of responsibilities, accountability chains, and how local management performance is evaluated.
Airports are facilities that cannot be managed reactively or merely through office management, especially regarding cleanliness, safety, facility maintenance, and the environment. The responsible manager must be capable of overseeing daily details, identifying deficiencies, coordinating interventions from relevant departments, and communicating about the actions taken and results achieved. Additionally, the ongoing discussions about the new manager transitioning from a role within the National Office of Airports in Rabat to managing Fez-Saïs Airport are insufficient to judge his competence or failure. The true criterion lies in the results he delivers, his ability to lead teams, improve service quality, and implement maintenance and rehabilitation programs. Yet, if the same complaints persist without clear explanations or measurable resolutions, the public has every right to question the effectiveness of the current management and the role of local leadership in transforming announced programs into tangible results.
Finally, another critical question relates to the local discourse surrounding the role of certain senior administrative staff in daily decision-making within the airport and the clarity of the relationship between the director's authority and the responsibilities of technical and administrative departments as well as contracted service companies. Any large facility requires a clear division of tasks, but it also needs leadership capable of coordination, monitoring, and decision-making. If responsibilities are distributed in a way that causes slow resolutions for some issues or allows for the passing of responsibility when deficiencies occur, it is necessary to review the management approach rather than merely blaming one employee. Therefore, the National Office of Airports is required to present a clear picture of the internal oversight mechanisms at Fez-Saïs Airport, how the performance of the director and related departments is evaluated, how complaints regarding cleanliness, facilities, and sewage are handled, and the extent to which contracted companies meet the required standards. Furthermore, it is essential to verify the circulated claims regarding the limited visibility of the new administration and whether this reflects an organizational choice, a lack of communication, or other underlying issues.
As reported by fes24.com.
