Marrakech Airport

Not Verified | This is the worst airport I have ever had the misfortune to visit. After landing, it took two hours to get out, even though we were hand luggage only. Why do they scan bags on the way out? These have already been scanned!? Departures was one fresh hell after another. It took us 3 hours to get through four different queues, with bags scanned twice, and passports checked numerous times. The staff were so up themselves, and aloof that they did little to alleviate the frustration of travellers. Many of us were in danger of missing our flights. Eventually we got to the lounge to find the departure board broken. Everyone was wandering around trying to get gate information, and being given wrong guidance. In the end we had to look out the window to see which gate. Then they herded us into a boiling hot glass tunnel for another half hour. Apparently there was an airshow that they had not told the airport about, hence a further delay in the greenhouse tunnel. I am not sure I will ever fly again.

Not Verified | I've been travelling throughout the world for over 40 years and have experienced many protracted, disorganised arrivals procedures (Tehran, Cairo, Mexico City, Bangkok, Addis Ababa, New York JFK etc). None of them approached the sheer hell of Marrakesh airport last night. Would rate it zero if that was an option. We arrived on a 3.5 hour flight from London. We spent the same amount of time waiting to go through immigration with hundreds of others. To call it a 'queue' would be disingenuous - queues are orderly, polite lines for which the British are famed. This was more of a noisy, sweaty, every person for themselves horde jostling for advantage. Staff useless. Airport wifi doesn't work. The newish Marrakesh airport looks quite up to date. Shame its immigration procedures are like a 70s 3rd world cliche. Closest real world comparison in my travelling life would be Jakarta in 1981. This is my 3rd visit to Morocco and 2nd to Marrakesh. On my two previous visits, albeit 10-15 years ago, arrivals were quite smooth - now? A horror show now. Morocco is one of the best developed counties in Africa and Marrakesh is its tourism honeypot so I don't understand why they allow this unforgivable welcome to both citizens and tourists to persist. I'll certainly never return.

Not Verified | Appallingly long queues to get through passport control. We landed at 11.45am and eventually left the airport at 4.15pm! Marrakech wishes to be a major tourist destination and as such, allows multiple flights to land within a very short time frame. This is well and good but it requires the infrastructure to then deal with the flow of incoming passengers. Clearly it is totally ill equipped to do so. Added to this is the pathetic, rude and intransigent behaviour of the airport staff in processing the arrivals. Maybe they need a lesson in appreciating that tourism is a massive shot in the arm for their country's economy and hence, make visitors welcome. Instead there is an air of arrogance and intransigence that is displayed bordering on disdain. Marrakech itself was fantastic, but the airpoprt (clean and modern) and it's staff need to be more welcoming and better set up to respect and process those that visit. Many will be reluctant to return.

Not Verified | On arrival, nearly 2.5 hours to get through security - be prepared to state your occupation, hotel etc. Queued again to scan bags to get out of the airport. Absolute no joke. Return journey was a different kettle of fish. Arrive 3 hours at least before departure to be on the safe side. Queuing: 1. Queue to get bag scanned to get into airport 2. Queue to get boarding pass (despite printing Ryanair ticket - no point, you have to queue for fresh ticket 3. Queue to get bag scanned again 4. Queue for passport control - this takes longest, steps 1-3 lull you into false sense of security 5. Once through passport control queue for another person to check your passport is actually stamped 6. Wait and queue for flight - often delayed and to make the wait time seem less they’ll ’board’ you and leave you stood outside waiting for a bus that’ll drive you to another part of the airport where your plane is waiting. We “boarded” B3 put the plan was a bus ride away. If you connect to WiFi it doesn’t work

✅ Trip Verified | Despite being a seasoned traveler this is the worst airport I have ever experienced. Upon arrival to Marrakech we were more than 40 minutes waiting to get through security. The locals tell me it can be as much as 4 hours! Upon my departure it took 2hrs and 15 minutes to go through the airport. First they scan your bags as you enter the airport, then they make you check in even though you've checked in online and and no baggage to drop off (hold luggage only), then the arrivals, departures and exit section is altogether and we entered the area en masse, no guidance offered by airport staff, then bags are scanned again before horrendous queues for security before finally some passengers are selected for another bag check AGAIN!!At no point were all check in desks, passport security desks or baggage security areas fully staffed to allow for the huge influx of passengers and no one to assist with those about to miss a flight due to their poor processing procedures. This experience alone would put me off returning to Marrakech. I would rate this a zero except the lowest score in a 1!Cannot speak to food or duty free as I had no time to check these amenities out due to excessive departure procedures.

✅ Trip Verified | Absolutely the worst airport experience ever, useless staff, give them a uniform they all become lazy, arrogant and rude. It took the idiot at passport control over ten minutes to check my passport, he looked like he couldn't read or use a computer, total incompetence from a backward country. No wonder the queues were two hours plus, then finally you get through to get your baggage only for another queue to have it scanned again.

✅ Trip Verified | The Airport needs to have 21st Century Technology installed to cut down the 3 hour's it took queuing to get into the terminal building to actually boarding the aeroplane. It was queues all the way with no time to spare to have a drink. Security I can put up with & expect but queuing for a boarding pass, then Passport control, Then do it all again plus a good 3 X- Ray scans + your luggage checks. Yes they did have a lot of booths open but over an hour of queuing to get your boarding pass, another for your passport checked when on departure from the UK only took 20 Minuets with on line booking said it all.

Not Verified | Horrid just like the city it serves! Rude, arrogant, obnoxious staff at customs and passport control. Staff appear to get a kick out of delaying and annoying travellers. Avoid Marrakech.

✅ Trip Verified | Awful airport, and I've travelled extensively and this is by far the worst airport experience I have encountered on several fronts. Being in Africa of all places you would think they would use air conditioning, but no not in the middle of summer because that would be ridiculous. Our flight was delayed by over 2 hours and it was 40°+ after 9pm. Nearly 6 hours being in such temperatures was extremely hard on the young and sick passengers I travelled with, one having fainted a couple of times and vomited due to the stifling heat. There appeared to be several other cases we saw like this. No free water, really uncomfortable seating, extortionate prices for water, food and duty free prices, really hard to call for assistance. Multiple security checks, right from when you step into the departures building and then subsequent ones afterwards plus having to show passport/boarding passes an unusual number of times. The majority of staff at this 'international' Airport are inefficient, barely speak English and can't/don't help. We didn't travel with hold/check-in luggage, so checked in online and printed boarding passes, but still had to queue at check-in desks so they could see and stamp boarding passes. They took ages to this and same issues when exiting at passport control. Most steps (at arrivals and departures) the staff wanted to direct the wheelchair users and young children to the priority lane, which is good but wanted to split them from the older family members, completely ridiculous. You want to travel with your family at each stage. Some staff said fine to be together in priority lanes others got really angry with us having children of varying ages and expected the 12-16year olds (who are still young and inexperienced to deal with airport staff and any issues that may arrive) to go queue separately from us who had other very young children and wheelchair user. No consistency in the given instructions at all, and you get aggressive behaviour from many staff as a result, you do what one says and another tells you off! The 1/10 rating was for free Wi-Fi, even though it kept disconnecting frequently. I've never left a review for an airport before, but it was so spectacularly bad, it warranted one. Pretty sure I won't be travelling through Marrakech airport again! Truly relieved to get back to the cool temps of the UK airport and ease of getting through Manchester airport.

✅ Trip Verified |   Temperatures around 40oC. A modern building. Have to turn up 3 hours before departure. Takes around 30 minutes in the heat to get into the terminal as there is a baggage scanner at entry doors. Inside there is no air conditioning. It is so hot, stuffy, sweaty thus unbearable inside. There is no free water facility anywhere. Have to spend a fortune buying water bottles (which not always cold) as the prices in the few shops inc duty free are very expensive. The toilets are not in a great state. The PA system is entirely useless as you can not make out what is being announced at all. In the departures lounge on numerous occasions had to queue up again to show boarding card and passport. Why? How many checks does it need? What for? You dare not question the staff as their attitude is very aloof and dictatorial ie do as you’re told or else! Dread to think what retribution they would seek if you crossed them! There was a general feeling of the staff couldn’t care less. The duty free shop is the most expensive encountered resulting in, for the first time, sadly no purchase being made. All in all a pretty dreadful experience and the worst encountered at an airport anywhere in the world (have travelled extensively all round the world). My impression, even with all the other negative reviews, is nothing will change as no option but having to use the airport if visiting Marrakesh. They just don’t care!!!