In a sense, Los Angeles will be closer to Africa.
Royal Air Maroc plans to launch flights from Morocco’s Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) in Casablanca to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) starting in June. It will be LAX’s only nonstop passenger flight to Africa.
Starting from June 7, the flight will operate three times a week (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday). The flight to LAX departs CMN at 4 a.m. and arrives at 8:20 a.m., while the eastbound flight departs LAX at 10:20 a.m. and arrives at 5:25 a.m. (both local times). The airline plans to fly the route using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which has 274 seats, including 18 business class seats.
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Oneworld alliance member Royal Air Maroc will add Los Angeles as its fourth U.S. destination, joining New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Miami International Airport (MIA) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.
It’s unclear how much continued demand Royal Air Maroc expects on the Los Angeles route, but the route is likely to see significant growth when it launches: the inaugural flight comes just four days before the start of the 2026 World Cup. The event, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be held in 16 cities, including Los Angeles.
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Morocco qualified for the World Cup and was placed in Group C for the first phase of the tournament on Friday, where it will face Brazil, Haiti and Scotland. The United States will face Paraguay, Australia and the winner of the upcoming European playoffs in Group D.
Following the competition, the airline will be able to continue to meet growing demand by offering one-stop service from LAX to numerous destinations in Africa.
For those looking to travel to Morocco, the airline’s Oneworld membership means those flights can be booked using miles from other alliance members American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. (As of press time, however, flights were not yet available for booking.)
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