How to read the Marrakech Menara Airport departures board
The board above shows every flight leaving Marrakech Menara Airport, in Marrakech local time. Each line gives the scheduled time, destination, flight number, airline and status, updated continuously.
- Scheduled / On time: the flight leaves as planned. Check-in may not be open yet.
- Check-in: the desks are open; go straight there if you have hold luggage.
- Boarding / Final call: passengers are boarding. At final call, the gate closes within minutes.
- Delayed / Cancelled: the estimated time replaces the scheduled one. Follow the airline's instructions by text or in its app.
- Departed: the aircraft has left the gate.
To follow a flight landing in Marrakech, see the Marrakech airport arrivals board.
What time should you get to the airport for a flight from Marrakech?
The rule that works: 2.5 to 3 hours before a flight to Europe, 3 hours in high season or whenever you have hold luggage. Check-in is not what slows you down; passport control and security are the airport's bottleneck.
| Flight type | Arrive | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Europe / UK, hold luggage | 3 h before | Bag drop, then passport control and security |
| Europe / UK, cabin bag only | 2.5 h before | Online boarding pass, but the same checks |
| High season, holidays, Ramadan | 3.5 h before | Longer queues at passport control |
| Domestic flight (Casablanca…) | 1.5 h before | No passport control |
Desks usually close 45 to 60 minutes before take-off, and the gate 20 minutes before. A passenger who arrives too late misses the flight, even if the aircraft is still on the ground.
Peak departure times
Two waves of departures fill the terminal. The first, between 6 and 9 am, is the aircraft that spent the night in Marrakech flying back to Europe early. The second builds in the late afternoon and evening, when low-cost rotations leave one after another. If your flight falls in one of these slots, add half an hour or book the Marrakech airport fast track, which takes you through a dedicated lane.
Terminal 1 or Terminal 2: where to go?
Marrakech Menara Airport has two adjoining terminals, linked on foot. Terminal 1 handles most international flights; Terminal 2 takes the rest, including some domestic flights and charters. Allocation varies by airline and season: the terminal is on your boarding pass and on the departures board. If in doubt, go to T1; T2 is a few minutes' walk away. The detailed layout is in our Marrakech airport guide.
Getting to Marrakech airport for your flight
The airport is 6 km from the medina, 15 to 30 minutes by road depending on the time of day. Add the time to walk to the medina gate nearest your riad, suitcases in hand.
| Option | Price | Time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-booked transfer | from €27 / vehicle | 15–30 min | Pick-up at the agreed time, even before dawn |
| Petit taxi | MAD 70–150 (day) | 15–30 min | More at night; agree the price before getting in |
| Bus 19 (ALSA) | MAD 30 / person | ≈ 20 min | From Jemaa el-Fna and Gueliz, no early-morning service |
| Hire car | — | 15–30 min | Allow 30 extra minutes for the return inspection |
For a flight before 9 am, book your ride the day before, with your riad or as a transfer: finding a taxi in a medina lane at 5 am is anything but easy, and the night fare applies until daybreak. Fare details are on the airport transfers and taxis page and in our Marrakech taxi tips.
Dropping someone off or parking
The drop-off zone in front of the terminal is for very short stops only. To walk someone to the desk, use the airport car park: about MAD 20 an hour, MAD 70 to 80 a day.
Dirhams, souvenirs and luggage: what to know
Dirhams cannot be taken out beyond a token amount: change your last notes before passport control, at the exchange desks in the public hall, and keep the receipt from your original exchange. For souvenirs, argan oil, spices and cosmetics in containers over 100 ml go in the hold, no exceptions. Pottery travels badly without proper packing; most medina sellers know how to prepare a parcel for the plane. More tips in our guide to money and exchange in Morocco.
Morocco refunds VAT to non-residents on certain purchases from approved retailers. The form must be stamped at the airport customs desk before you check in your bags, with the goods available for inspection. It makes sense for a carpet or silverwork, rarely for babouches.
Airside: shops, lounges and wifi
After security, the departure area offers duty-free shops, cafés and restaurants, plus free wifi that can be saturated at peak times. It fills up at the same hours as the queues: if you leave late in the day or have a long connection, access to one of the Marrakech airport VIP lounges transforms the wait.
Delayed or cancelled flight from Marrakech
For flights leaving Morocco, EU Regulation 261/2004 applies if the airline is European (Ryanair, easyJet, Transavia, Air France…), and UK261 if it is a UK carrier (Jet2, British Airways, easyJet UK): beyond a three-hour arrival delay, compensation reaches €400 (£350) per passenger for a 1,500 to 3,500 km journey, such as Marrakech–London. Non-European airlines departing Marrakech are not covered. Check your case on our flight compensation page. The airport is run by the Office National des Aéroports (ONDA).