Spain will design Morocco’s largest airport through state-owned company Ineco | Companies

The design and business plan for one of Morocco’s largest infrastructures, Casablanca International Airport, has fallen into the hands of the Spanish engineering company Ineco. And its importance lies in the fact that the renovation and expansion of the site will be key to supporting Morocco’s bid to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

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The design and business plan for one of Morocco’s largest infrastructures, Casablanca International Airport, has fallen into the hands of the Spanish engineering company Ineco. And its importance lies in the fact that the renovation and expansion of the site will be key to supporting Morocco’s bid to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

Ineco has already played an important role in the development of the Moroccan air navigation system and is now once again trusted by the Moroccan National Airports Authority (ONDA). Casablanca-Mohamed V Aerodrome has two runways and two main terminals with an area of ​​76,000 and 66,000 square meters respectively, to which a third is added of only 4,000 square meters. It is the main base of the flagship airline Royal Air Maroc, whose main users are Air France and Air Arabia.

The company, chaired by Sergio Vazquez, will be responsible for developing the execution program for both the flight area and the terminals. Ineco will analyze the potential demand that this infrastructure must meet between now and 2050, as well as current challenges. This determines the size of this international hub, which served 9.8 million travelers last year and has a maximum capacity of 14 million, roughly the same as Valencia’s current capacity.

The signing of the contract will take place this Wednesday and will coincide with the visit of Transport Minister Oscar Puente to the neighboring country. Among his companions is the President of Ineco, who highlighted the opportunities opening up for Morocco’s infrastructure sector: “The country is about to give a boost to its transport infrastructure and its relations with Spain are at a good moment. This represents a promising stage for Spanish engineering and construction companies in a market that has traditionally been dominated by French companies.” Sergio Vazquez highlights Ineco’s strengthened role as an airport planner following extensive experience in Spain, Greece, Colombia, Mexico and Cape Verde.

The project, commissioned by ONDA from a firm dependent on the Ministry of Transport, has a budget of more than 500,000 euros and will form the basis for work that will undoubtedly be chosen by Spanish construction companies. Ineco will have to determine the expected traffic volume between 2040 and 2050; evaluate opportunities for improved management in search of greater efficiency and prepare a map of necessary road and rail connections to facilitate intermodal transport (Terminal 1 has a train station). The Spanish company’s engineering team will also prepare the conditions for the expansion work.

The airport is located in Nouacera, 30 kilometers southeast of Casablanca. Morocco’s largest football stadium is also planned to be built near the site, starting in 2025, with a capacity of 113,000 seats and a budget of 5 billion dirhams (457 million euros). The ambition of the kingdom of Mohammed VI is to host the final of the tournament there.

The aforementioned 9.8 million travelers in 2023 to Casablanca, an increase of 28% over the previous year, means it accounts for 36% of air traffic in Morocco. In addition to its activities in Casablanca, the state-owned ONDA will also invest in improving the airports of Marrakesh, Tangier, Agadir or Rabat.

Ineco will provide a team of engineers specialized in terminal design, business development or land infrastructure for this contract in Morocco. As an example, the development used the master plans of all airports in the Aena network, as well as various experiences of international airports in other countries.

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