Air Moroc is one of the five international airlines serving Sierra Leone, offering flights to New York and other popular destinations worldwide. Known for its competitive airfares compared to other airlines in Sierra Leone, Air Moroc operates twice-weekly flights from Lungi Airport. As an experienced traveller with numerous trips on this airline, I recently flew with Air Moroc once again on my journey to the United States.
On August 27, 2023, I embarked on my trip to the United States with Air Moroc, this time flying through Guinea instead of Sierra Leone. Departing from Freetown at 9 a.m., I reached Conakry in the afternoon. After running some errands, I headed to Sekou Toure International Airport (formerly Gbessia Airport). In my many trips abroad, I have not encountered any issues with immigration officials at this airport.
Initially scheduled to depart Conakry at 1 a.m., we received a last-minute announcement of a delay, pushing our departure to 5 a.m., more than 4 hours later. Boarding finally commenced close to 6 a.m., causing considerable frustration among passengers who had to endure the cold airport all night. Unfortunately, as a frequent flyer with Air Moroc, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Similar delays have happened before. Eventually, we arrived in Casablanca, where we had to waste hours connecting to our New York flight.
Returning to Freetown on September 4th, I departed from New York. Unfortunately, I faced a frustrating 16-hour transit time at Casablanca. The airport itself is not known for its friendliness. During my wait, I witnessed passengers struggling to obtain food coupons provided by the airline for transit. These coupons can be exchanged at the airport’s restaurants; however, one must endure long queues to acquire them. Additionally, while the airline promises rooms for passengers with extended transit times, this is not always the case. When I requested a room, I was surprised that the staff prioritized US and other Western passports over African passports. They claimed the hotel rooms were insufficient. After hours of struggle, I managed to secure a room with the help of a helpful Moroccan. However, he requested $20 in return for buying duty-free goods as the airport shops do not accept Moroccan currency but I told him I didn’t have it. The hotel itself did not provide a 5-star experience, with poorly maintained public toilets. My 16 hours at Casablanca were far from ideal. On a positive note, the airport mosque remained open for me to perform my prayers, and the airport hotel offered free WiFi, although the connection was not very strong.
Overall, Air Moroc offers very affordable fares. I purchased a round-trip ticket from Conakry to JFK to Freetown for just $890, a price difficult to find with other airlines operating in Sierra Leone. However, it is unfortunate that the inflight staff are not always friendly or attentive. On one occasion, when I requested water from a cabin crew member, he was preoccupied with flirting with another passenger throughout the flight. He failed to serve me the water, and I had to search for him at the back of the plane. When I brought up the issue, he simply stated that he had forgotten.
If you choose to fly with Air Moroc, be prepared for the unexpected. In my next article, I will delve into tips on how to travel through Guinea and save money.
About the author: Murtala Mohamed Kamara is a journalist and the publisher of SaloneJamboree, Sierra Leone’s leading Arts and entertainment newspaper. He is also the founder of Salone Adventures, a travel and tourism website. Kamara, a travel enthusiast, techy and adventurer, enjoys sharing his experiences. He also reports for German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
