HIBAPRESS
Royal Air Maroc and China Eastern Airlines signed a strategic memorandum of understanding on Saturday, October 18, 2025, establishing a new phase of cooperation between the two carriers, with the aim of strengthening air connectivity between China and the African continent.
The signing ceremony took place in Shanghai, in the presence of the presidents of the two companies, Mr. Wang Zhiqing from the Chinese side and Mr. Hamid Addou from the Moroccan side, along with a number of senior officials from the two institutions. This partnership aims to develop air connectivity in a tangible way, in line with the growing growth in economic, cultural, and tourism exchanges between China and African countries. The agreement includes adopting code-sharing on the most prominent airlines, expanding the scope of connecting flights through the main airport hubs of the two parties, in addition to signing a Special Prorate Agreement for greater integration between the air transport networks of the two carriers. Thanks to these agreements, travelers will benefit from a wider network of destinations and a smooth and improved travel experience between China and Africa, with enhanced operational and service integration between the two carriers. In his speech on the occasion, Mr. Wang Zhiqing, President of China Eastern Airlines, expressed his happiness at signing this partnership, noting that "the historical relations and solid friendship between Morocco and China have formed a fertile ground for this cooperation in the field of aviation," adding: "We intend to jointly expand our network, starting from the Shanghai hub and with the support of the strong presence of Royal Air Maroc in Africa, within the framework of a comprehensive and sustainable vision to develop the air transport market between China and Africa." For his part, Mr. Hamid Addou, CEO of Royal Air Maroc, confirmed that this agreement falls within the framework of the high directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God protect him, and the continuation of the dynamics launched by the royal visit to China in 2016, saying: "Today, we continue to build human, economic, tourism, and cultural bridges between Morocco and China, and through this partnership, we look forward to developing an effective and multidimensional South-South cooperation model." Royal Air Maroc had resumed its direct flights between Casablanca and Beijing in January 2025, at a rate of three flights per week, while Shanghai Airlines, a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, launched an air route linking Shanghai with Casablanca via Marseille, which was strengthened in September 2025 by adding a direct flight per week. China Eastern Airlines also intends to gradually transition to operating fully direct flights between Shanghai and Casablanca, which further enhances the movement of travel, tourism, and business between the two sides, and gives additional momentum to Sino-African relations through the Moroccan gateway.
