Casablanca Airport

A good effort to facilitate passengers and advance tourist industry but efforts occasionally are not enough. Nobody knows what and where endless bureaucracy and delays in everything. Big surprise: on the way back to Athens August 25th 2008 departure 02:45 we had to do the check in with only 2 desks open for 250 passengers while the man on the desk was disappearing every 2 minutes or 3 to talk with colleagues and fool around. The flight was delayed because most of the passengers had not done the check in although been there 3 hours before. No duty free shop was open for travellers to spend their money. Overall impression: decent infrastructure average to law quality services.

Casablanca Airport is a huge surprise. I had expected something less fanciful only to meet a well run and neat airport. Clearing customs in a large bright room lit by natural sunlight is comforting. It is a little darker at baggage claim and the arrival hall is more sombre than the departure. There are some money changers and unfortunately along came the touts as well. The train station is right below the airport and train service is 1 train per hour into the city (30-40 mins). The International Departure Hall on the other hand is modern bright and spiffy and again clearing customs is a breeze. My only grouse - the check-in rows and customs are far apart so a fair bit of walking is involved. The gates are clearly marked and easy to get to and eateries and cafes are fairly easily located.

Reasonable airport seemed efficient clean and friendly. Arrived in the evening and had to wait over an hour for the last train to Casablanca- Voyageurs which was annoying and there was no early train which arrived in time for my return flight early in the morning so I was forced to spent the night in the airport! Plenty of guards made the place seem secure found a couple of soft mats on which I managed to get some rest. All procedures were smooth check-in passport control and boarding by bus.

Although Royal Air Morac tries to make CMN appear as one the up to date modern connecting hubs it isn't quite there. With one 767 coming in from JFK it took more than an hour to get the whole group of passengers through. And when making a connection on the way out the waiting area isn't really up to date either. The airport is not non smoking and if you don't like to be swarmed by second hand smoke it makes it tough. The food choices again arent really up to good modern standards. But with hat said those are really the only negatives I can think of at CMN. Its got cool duty free shopping.

In transit between flights from Bamako to Lyon and return. Overall a cosey airport fairly clean and with comfortable seats. Many nice duty free shops with plenty of local handicraft and jewelry. On the minus side: most shops close at night and half the public 'Maroc Telecom' telephone booths don't work properly.

Having arrived at Casablanca from Montreal in the early hours I was wanting coffee. I had no local currency and neither did the cafe have change. I was treated to not one but two free cups of excellent espresso. This doesn't happen very often in this world we live in. This is an airport that practices humanity.