The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Etihad Cargo and Royal Air Maroc Cargo have which will see the two airlines cooperate in a number of areas including network development, freighter deployment and increasing traffic on several trade lanes over the next nine months.

The MOU was signed at Royal Air Maroc’s headquarters in Casablanca by David Kerr, senior vice president – Etihad Cargo and Amine El Farissi, vice president Cargo, Royal Air Maroc. Abdelhamid Addou, chief executive oficer of the Moroccan national airline, also attended the signing ceremony.

Mr Kerr said: “This new MOU reinforces Etihad Cargo’s commitment to our customers by providing more capacity and greater frequency to destinations around the world. Together with Royal Air Maroc, we have been working for the past year to deliver improved services for shippers to the US, Canada, Brazil and West Africa.

“This MOU is a testament to the success of our partnership – both commercially for our respective airlines, and for our customers who have benefitted from enhanced connections.”

Mr El Farissi said: “We are very pleased to strengthen our existing partnership with Etihad Cargo through this agreement. The signature of this MOU is a milestone for our long-term cooperation.

“Thanks to the geographic and commercial synergies which will result from this game-changing partnership, we will take our performance to the next level, mainly in the African and the American markets. Royal Air Maroc Cargo will also benefit from Etihad Cargo’s operational and technological know-how.”

The airlines will spend the next nine months growing traffic through joint network development, including freighter deployment, and identifying further areas of cooperation.

Royal Air Maroc Cargo operates one Boeing 737 freighter, which will be complemented by Etihad Cargo’s freighter fleet of 10 aircraft – five Boeing 777Fs and five Airbus A330Fs – as well as belly hold capacity on a combined fleet of more than 150 passenger aircraft from both airlines.