Dlimi Airlines, a new start-up airline based in southern Morocco, plans to begin operations in the third quarter of 2022.
The airline, which is set to launch in 2020, has big plans for a domestic and worldwide network. The airline will fly routes in Morocco, West Africa, and Europe from Dakhla Airport.
With two Embraer E195-E2s, the largest of Embraer’s E2 types, the airline hopes to support its summer launch. The E2 complements the airline’s planned route network, which includes destinations such as Casablanca, Dakar, Marrakech, Marseille, and Paris, with a range of 2,600 nautical miles (4,815 kilometers).
According to a report from ch-aviation, the airline’s founder Hamza Dlimi is in discussion with Embraer to acquire the aircraft from the Brazilian manufacturer. Dlimi stated: “We would start with two aircraft and see how it goes.”
According to Dlimi, the airline applied for an Operating License from Morocco’s civil aviation regulator, the Direction Générale de l’aviation Civile Maroc (DGAC). The airline seeks to accommodate both business and pleasure passengers, with a variety of customizable options and package discounts.
African airlines eager to expand their local and regional operations have flocked to Embraer’s E2 aircraft. After acquiring the first of its E2s in the second quarter of 2020, Nigeria’s Air Peace became the first E2 operator in Africa, with plans to operate a fleet of up to 30 E195-E2s in the future.
Congo Airways, based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, intends to receive two Embraer E195-E2s in 2022, complementing a fleet of two E190-E2s delivered in Q4 2020.
Airlink, based in South Africa, has a fleet of roughly 44 Embraer models, including the ERJ-145, 170, and 190.
