By Victor Kanayo
Ahead of the 2030 World Cup, joint host Morocco is set to expand its airport capacity to 80 million passengers, up from the current 38 million, according to Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.
Speaking on the plans, Akhannouch said the expansion is part of Morocco’s preparations to co-host the tournament with Spain and Portugal and boost tourism.
“Casablanca’s airport capacity will be expanded to 23.3 million passengers, while tourist hubs Marrakech and Agadir will have capacities of 14 million and 6.3 million respectively by 2030,” he stated.
Tourism figures from the ministry reveal that Morocco received a record 15.9 million tourists in the first 11 months of this year, surpassing the total for the entire previous year, largely due to increased air routes.
Morocco, which will also host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025, plans to extend its high-speed train network to Marrakech before the World Cup and further south to Agadir. The national rail operator aims to expand the network, doubling the cities served to 43, covering 87% of the population by 2040.
Additionally, Akhannouch highlighted plans for the expansion and renovation of 45 stadiums and training facilities across six cities designated to host the World Cup. A new stadium with 115,000 seats is also set to be constructed near Casablanca.
The government estimates the cost of investments in stadium construction and upgrades to be up to 5 billion dirhams ($500 million).
