Moroccan Air Transport: Jet4You Announces New Routes
10 July 2009
Read by 1727 persons
Jet4You, Morocco's leading private low-cost airline and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the giant TUI, announced its 2009 development plan on Monday, March 16th in Casablanca.
This includes increased flight frequencies, the acquisition of two new aircraft, and the launch of new routes between several Moroccan cities and Barcelona, starting March 19th. Spain is added to the list of European countries served by the company. Therefore, 2009, a year considered difficult by other operators, poses no threat.
Jet4You faces 2009 with confidence. Presenting the results of its first three years of operation and its 2009 action plan to the press on Monday, March 16th, the new chairman, Karim Baina, was upbeat, "despite a very difficult international economic situation." Jet4You, TUI's first subsidiary outside Europe, is performing well in Morocco. Financial results were not disclosed. However, it was revealed that the company employed 250 people at the end of 2008 and plans to add two new generation Boeing 737-800s to its fleet in 2009.
Another new development is the launch, starting March 19th, of sales for the Casablanca-Barcelona, Tangier-Barcelona, and Nador-Barcelona routes. Jet4You is thus entering the Spanish market, which it considers "high-potential and rapidly developing." To give one figure: the Moroccan community in Catalonia currently numbers almost 350,000. "We will launch three routes to Catalonia simultaneously to become a market leader from day one," explains Baina. Moroccans living abroad (MREs) represent a significant customer base for Jet4You, particularly on certain routes where they can make up to 80% of passengers.
This is the case for the Casablanca-Bologna route. Overall, MREs represent 40% of Jet4You's clientele. Foreign tourists and business travelers are the two other equally important segments. The company currently serves France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland.
Its affiliation with the giant TUI allows it to easily face foreign competition. TUI owns 157 aircraft and negotiates fuel purchases and insurance for all its subsidiaries. This gives Jet4You significant economies of scale. Jet4You does not position itself as simply a Moroccan low-cost airline since it belongs to one of the largest European carriers. Atlas Blue, which is in the process of transforming into a non-low-cost company, could not withstand competition from Ryanair or EasyJet, for example.
Regarding service quality, a major initial concern, a major effort is being made to "improve service quality, which was not up to our expectations," assures Karim Baina. A major institutional communication campaign is planned for the near future, says Meryem Kadmiri, Jet4You's marketing director.
Amale DAOUD
Published March 16, 2009
Posted online March 22, 2009
bled.ma
This includes increased flight frequencies, the acquisition of two new aircraft, and the launch of new routes between several Moroccan cities and Barcelona, starting March 19th. Spain is added to the list of European countries served by the company. Therefore, 2009, a year considered difficult by other operators, poses no threat.
Jet4You faces 2009 with confidence. Presenting the results of its first three years of operation and its 2009 action plan to the press on Monday, March 16th, the new chairman, Karim Baina, was upbeat, "despite a very difficult international economic situation." Jet4You, TUI's first subsidiary outside Europe, is performing well in Morocco. Financial results were not disclosed. However, it was revealed that the company employed 250 people at the end of 2008 and plans to add two new generation Boeing 737-800s to its fleet in 2009.
Another new development is the launch, starting March 19th, of sales for the Casablanca-Barcelona, Tangier-Barcelona, and Nador-Barcelona routes. Jet4You is thus entering the Spanish market, which it considers "high-potential and rapidly developing." To give one figure: the Moroccan community in Catalonia currently numbers almost 350,000. "We will launch three routes to Catalonia simultaneously to become a market leader from day one," explains Baina. Moroccans living abroad (MREs) represent a significant customer base for Jet4You, particularly on certain routes where they can make up to 80% of passengers.
This is the case for the Casablanca-Bologna route. Overall, MREs represent 40% of Jet4You's clientele. Foreign tourists and business travelers are the two other equally important segments. The company currently serves France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland.
Its affiliation with the giant TUI allows it to easily face foreign competition. TUI owns 157 aircraft and negotiates fuel purchases and insurance for all its subsidiaries. This gives Jet4You significant economies of scale. Jet4You does not position itself as simply a Moroccan low-cost airline since it belongs to one of the largest European carriers. Atlas Blue, which is in the process of transforming into a non-low-cost company, could not withstand competition from Ryanair or EasyJet, for example.
Regarding service quality, a major initial concern, a major effort is being made to "improve service quality, which was not up to our expectations," assures Karim Baina. A major institutional communication campaign is planned for the near future, says Meryem Kadmiri, Jet4You's marketing director.
Amale DAOUD
Published March 16, 2009
Posted online March 22, 2009
bled.ma
