Royal Air Maroc has struck a deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink to deliver satellite-powered broadband aboard 41 aircraft. The state-controlled flag carrier plans to begin retrofitting its passenger jets in early 2027, securing bragging rights as the first airline in Africa to roll out the low-Earth-orbit service across its fleet.

The tie-up gives travelers gate-to-gate streaming, remote-work capability, and instant messaging on long hauls through Casablanca. Members of the carrier’s Safar Flyer loyalty program will get complimentary access once each jet goes live, the airline said Tuesday. Still, travelers must wait, as hardware retrofits will roll out slowly across the fleet.

Upgrades take flight

Financial terms were kept under wraps, and the network will not switch on overnight. Chief Executive Officer Abdelhamid Addou, who has led the flag carrier since 2016, called the pact an anchor in a broader capital overhaul that bundles fresh airframes, overhauled cabins, and premium digital perks into one growth campaign.

Casablanca is angling for a larger share of lucrative transfer traffic between Europe, Africa, and North America. By tapping Starlink, Morocco joins a widening roster of legacy carriers chasing space-based internet to woo high-yield flyers. Air France began installing the tech in 2025, targeting complete fleet coverage by late 2026.

Casablanca leverages clout

The aviation deal lands just as Rabat flexes muscle on another front: cross-border finance. Attijariwafa Bank, controlled by the royal family’s investment holding firm Al Mada, recently agreed to buy a 55 percent stake in Societe Generale Ghana. The buyout marks a clean retreat for the Paris lender after two decades in Accra.

The Ghana bank takeover still faces regulatory scrutiny in both capitals, but the signal to regional markets is clear. Moroccan state-backed conglomerates are deploying deep balance sheets to capture trade lanes, retail banking, and airport corridors across sub-Saharan Africa, transforming the North African kingdom into an indispensable commercial turnpike.

State steers growth

Rabat continues to hold tight operational control over its aviation asset. The Moroccan state holds a 53.94 percent equity stake in Royal Air Maroc, while the Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social Development controls 44.1 percent. That sovereign wealth vehicle, launched in 2000, underwrites capital-intensive national transport and infrastructure plays.