American Airlines wants more access to connect to African destinations after filing for a codeshare agreement with Moroccan carrier Royal Air Maroc.
The two companies filed for the agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation last week. It would give the airlines the ability to sell one another’s tickets and book passage on the two airlines with one itinerary.
The agreement comes as state-owned Royal Air Maroc readies to enter American Airlines’ Oneworld alliance. Meanwhile, American is preparing for its first service to Africa with a flight from Philadelphia to Casablanca, Morocco, starting in 2020.
American Airlines already has an interline agreement with Royal Air Maroc, allowing the two airlines to transfer baggage.
“Our goal is to offer customers additional options to reach more destinations in Africa like Marrakesh, Accra and Lagos,” said American Airlines spokeswoman Nichelle Tait. “We look forward to taking this next step in our partnership.”
Royal Air Maroc has headquarters at Casablanca-Anfa Airport and serves 98 destinations, including 27 in Africa, mostly in the central and northern parts of the continent.
Royal Air Maroc has mostly Boeing jets, including some new 787 Dreamliners. It also flies a few Embraer and ATR planes on shorter routes. Royal Air Maroc is the third-largest airline in Africa, behind Ethiopian Airlines and EgyptAir.