Morocco begins tendering process to expand Casablanca airport
RABAT, May 7 (Reuters) - Morocco issued on Wednesday two expressions of interest to identify bidders for its plan to build a new terminal that will increase capacity at its largest airport in Casablanca by 20 million passengers.
Casablanca airport's expansion is part of a push to double Morocco's overall airport capacity to 78 million to meet increasing traffic in the run-up to the soccer World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The terminal is expected to be ready in 2029 at a cost of $1.6 billion, airports authority ONDA said in a statement.
The new terminal will serve as an international hub and will be served by a high-speed train network connecting the airport to the key cities of Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech.
Morocco reported a record 17.4 million visitors last year, up 20% from 2023, and it expects to attract 26 million tourists in 2030.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Spanish overtakes French as most popular foreign language GCSE
Holidays to the Balearic Islands have helped make Spanish the most popular foreign language choice at GCSE, a union has claimed. GCSE entries for Spanish rose by 1.6 per cent to 131,965 this summer, provisional data for England show, edging French off the top spot for the first time in more than a decade. Spanish has risen in popularity in recent years, with GCSE entries jumping almost half since 2014, when 89,450 teenagers took the subject. The boost may be in part fuelled by growing British interest in the Spanish islands as a holiday destination, one union has claimed. Pepe Di'Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the rising dominance of Spanish at GCSE level was because 'young people may be more familiar with the Spanish language, because of the popularity of Spain, the Balearics and Canary Islands as holiday destinations'. Spain is now the top foreign holiday choice for Britons, with 17.8 million visits made in 2023, according to research published by the House of Commons. The country's islands are now so popular among UK holidaymakers that many have seen a rise in anti-tourist protests in the past year, including in Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza. France is still the second choice for Britons travelling abroad, but is thought to be falling out of favour among young people in search of cheap, sun-filled beach holidays. Meanwhile, trips to Germany dropped by more than 900,000 between 2019 and 2023, meaning the country is no longer in the top 10, as new destinations such as Turkey and Poland also creep up the chart. It may explain why French and German are now both on the wane at GCSE while Spanish sees increasing traction. The number of teenagers sitting GCSE French has slumped by a fifth since 2014, while German entries have dwindled by around 45 per cent over that time, according to Telegraph analysis of Ofqual figures. In total, 128,155 pupils are expecting their GCSE results in French this summer, marking a 1.9 per cent fall compared to last year. German entries dropped 7.6 per cent to 32,430 across the same period, having collapsed over the past decade or so. There are fears that German could die out altogether as a language choice among British pupils, with the number of children taking the subject at GCSE this year representing around a quarter of those sitting either French and Spanish. Provisional data for England show a similar pattern at at A-level, with entries for French and German down by 8.3 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively, while entries for Spanish rose 1.4 per cent this summer. Mr Di'Iasio said: 'The growing popularity of Spanish is really good news as there has been a long-term decline in modern foreign languages, but we do need to do more at a national level to boost language learning more generally.' Others have pointed to a lack of specialist teachers in state schools under a worsening recruitment and retention crisis. Languages are not compulsory at GCSE level, but many schools choose to make them part of their core syllabus. Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'With recruitment challenges really biting in schools, some simply don't have the teachers they need to offer courses in certain subjects. 'Teacher recruitment targets were missed in computing, chemistry, physics and modern foreign languages in the last couple of years, and these are among the subjects which experienced a fall in entries.' Statistics, performing arts and music were the biggest risers in GCSE subjects this year, according to provisional Ofqual data published on Thursday, with engineering, German and physics recording the biggest falls in entries.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Plan to fence off Inverness Castle with railings and gates
Highland Council has proposed fencing off Inverness Castle and its former sheriff court is being turned into a tourist attraction with landscaped council, which is leading the redevelopment, plans to put up railings and gates around the property and open the site from 08:00 to 22: work started on the transformation in 2022, the castle's grounds were open to the public at all times - though there was more restricted access to the castle's court buildings. The new Inverness Castle Experience is being redeveloped a cost of about £30m, and is due to open later this year. The plans for railings and gates were first reported in the Inverness application for the fencing is currently in Highland Council's planning system.A feature of the castle's grounds is a statue dedicated to Flora famously helped Bonnie Prince Charlie evade capture after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in of the grounds also offer views over Inverness' Riverside, and towards Loch Ness in one direction and the mountain Ben Wyvis in the grounds are currently blocked off by wire fences erected due to the construction Council said the railings and gates would form part of the landscaping around the castle, and contribute to the management of the building and gardens.A spokesperson said: "It is intended that the site will be open from 08:00 until 22:00, allowing access throughout this period. "The opening hours are planned to be all year round. "We will put all necessary measures in place to ensure appropriate management of The Inverness Castle Experience building and gardens when it opens later this year."Ticket prices for the tourist attraction were announced in March. The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service moved out of the castle in redevelopment has received funding from the £315m Inverness and Highland City Region sandstone Inverness Castle was built in 1836 to plans drawn by architect William was constructed on a mound overlooking the city and the River Ness. In 1848, a building known as the North Block was added and served as a a castle had occupied the site from possibly as far back as the 11th the centuries, the fortification fell under the control of the forces of Edward I, Robert the Bruce and James I, II and 1562, it was attacked and damaged by soldiers loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots, before it was almost destroyed by Royalist troops in the Prince Charlie's forces blew the castle up in 1746 to prevent it from falling into the hands of government was said that a French sergeant, who had brought his poodle with him to Scotland, set off the soldier was caught in the blast, and his body was blown across to the opposite side of the River Ness. His dog survived.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Miami World Cup officials play down travel concerns a year from kick-off
June 12 (Reuters) - As a gleaming clock began ticking towards the 2026 World Cup, Miami officials launched the city's one-year countdown seeking to allay fears that America's stricter immigration stance could deter the overseas fans that it hopes to attract. The celebratory unveiling on Wednesday, featuring singer Marc Anthony, came just days after unrest in Los Angeles and amid the implementation of stricter border controls under President Donald Trump's administration. "I don't think anybody has anything to be afraid of. Miami is an incredibly welcoming place, and we're very excited to welcome the world," Alina T. Hudak, president of the 2026 Miami Host Committee, said at the countdown event. The digital clock, soon to greet travellers at Miami International Airport, marks 365 days until the start of the biggest World Cup in history — 48 teams playing 104 matches across three North American nations. However, security arrangements have drawn particular scrutiny, especially regarding the involvement of immigration enforcement agencies. Rodney Barreto, co-chair of the Miami Host Committee, confirmed that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be involved in security operations. "They will be there to support us with security, but not to capture people," he said. At Fiorito, an Argentine restaurant in Miami's Little Haiti neighbourhood, fans of the South American nation's defending champions expressed confidence that their countrymen would travel regardless of restrictions. "Wherever the World Cup is, it's great ... We're excited about being world champions and we can do much more," Argentina supporter Nicolas Lomazzi told Reuters. "What matters here is money, and they're going to make a lot with the World Cup, so they'll open the door for us all," added Emmanuel, an Argentina supporter hopeful of witnessing what could be captain Lionel Messi's final World Cup appearance. For Miami, a city shaped by successive waves of immigration, hosting the tournament represents a delicate balancing act — showcasing its multicultural identity while navigating an increasingly complex immigration landscape that threatens the smooth running of the biggest World Cup yet.
