Rabat - After dozens of Moroccans were told they would not be able to board their plane to Morocco on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, fellow Moroccans used Morocco World News and Facebook to express their own anger against Royal Air Maroc, showing that these stranded flyers are not alone in their troubles.
RAM passengers flying to Morocco to celebrate Eid al-Fitr were told that they would be unable to board their plane for unclear reasons. The delays turned into entire cancellations, leaving some Moroccan and American travelers stranded in JFK airport for at least 36 hours.
RAM management has not answered any questions in response to the incident, nor has the company apologized for the incredible inconveniences it caused its passengers who paid well over $1000 for their tickets. The company left its passengers, and now their supporters, in the dark wondering why they had to spend their holiday in JFK airport.
Moroccans commented on the stories with their own horrific experiences with RAM, hoping their voices, and their demands for better treatment when flying with the airline, would be heard.
“All Moroccans should protest the leadership of this company and demand better management in order to compete in the world market. I would not be surprised if RAM becomes a case study in business schools of what not to do. The leadership should be so ashamed of themselves when they read that their customers are rallying together to boycott RAM or at least bring other companies to this market in order to force RAM to value its customers,” said Sam Elferrane.
Some called for others to join them in their stand against RAM, hoping the power of uniting voices would change the ways of the company.
“We have been treated like worthless citizens who have committed no crime but their love for their roots and their country for which they were and still are willing to make any sacrifices… I summon all my compatriots to stand against this group managing la RAM business and request a change to be made. La RAM gets funding from the taxpayers and the hard working immigrants, therefore it is accountable in front of the Moroccan people for all these shortcomings,” wrote Ahmed Mamane, followed by the hashtag #ChangeLaRAM.
Refusal to accept further mistreatment and poor customer service sparked the creation of a petition, requesting the creation of direct flights on North American carriers. In a letter to North American carriers, petitioners called on United Airlines, American Airlines, Air Canada, US Airways, Air Transat, and Delta Airlines to launch direct flights between North America and Morocco.
Some suggested that the company be put out of business, while others demanded change, seeking political and legal intervention.
“This is a semi public company. Moroccans shall not want it to fail. We should hold it to higher standards. Any politician who asks us to fly with a different company is running away from his responsibility. Airline companies bring lot of money to the economy and it is time for our politicians to be involved,” wrote Sam Elferrane.
Royal Air Maroc, owned entirely by the Moroccan government, has monopolized direct flights from North America to and from Morocco for years; therefore many travelers don’t have much of a choice but to book their flights with RAM. The company consistently sets prices significantly higher than its competitors that offer flights with one or multiple stops.
The Moroccan government, in a tight financial situation of its own, offered RAM for MAD 1.6 billion back in 2011 to help out the company amidst a difficult financial environment with intense competition, lower sales, and higher fuel prices. Since then, RAM has been on a financial climb. This past year, RAM came out with a profit of MAD 183 million, a 9.3 percent increase from 2013, and overall traffic in Africa grew by 1.5 percent.
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