Flight Review: Royal Air Maroc AT571 from Casablanca to Tunis

Airline	Royal Air Maroc
Flight	AT571
Route	Casablanca (CMN) → Tunis (TUN)
Departure	7:50 a.m.
Arrival	10:50 a.m.
Flight time	~3 hours
Distance	1,033 miles
Price	$74 one way

This flight was part of a quick, packed trip to Tunisia, with plans to cover Tunis, El Djem, and more in just a few days. AT571 is a short regional hop on paper, but like many flights in this part of the world, it came with a few surprises along the way.

Casablanca Airport: Terminal 1, with a few quirks

Royal Air Maroc operates out of Terminal 1 at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), which has a noticeably new airport feel compared to the older parts of CMN. The space is clean, modern, and fairly calm in the early morning hours. Just a few weeks previously the airport removed the primary security check for entering the building. This meant I only needed to clear airside security.

One important thing to note: mobile boarding passes aren't accepted here. Everyone needs to stop and retrieve a printed boarding pass, which adds a step but moved quickly at this hour.

Security itself was smooth. I was asked the standard questions about carrying cash and how much, which makes sense given the region, but there were no delays or secondary screening issues.

At this time of day, not much was open airside. If you're looking for coffee or food, manage expectations.

Bus gates and boarding

From the terminal, passengers head downstairs to the bus gates. Boarding here was not particularly orderly, which is fairly typical for bus boarding in many parts of the world.

Thanks to my AAdvantage Platinum Pro status, I was able to board one of the First Class buses, which made a noticeable boarding difference. We were driven past the Royal terminal area and straight out to the aircraft, arriving well ahead of the main group.

That put me among the first passengers to board, even though I was seated in the first few rows of economy.

Cabin and seating

This flight was operated by a Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-800. The aircraft showed some wear, but nothing unexpected.

What stood out immediately were the economy seats. These were older-style seats, but in a good way. Plush, generously padded, and genuinely comfortable, they reminded me of economy cabins from the early 2000s, before airlines began thinning everything out. I had the added benefit of an open middle seat on the first of my flights across North Africa.

Unlike many European short-haul products, Royal Air Maroc offers a true business class on flights like this, with full recliner seats, not blocked middle seats. On this flight, the forward cabin went out partially empty, while I was comfortable enough just behind it.

A delay, and an unusual scene

The flight ended up delayed, though interestingly, AT571 doesn't reliably show up on many flight-tracking websites, which made it harder to gauge what was happening in real time.

Looking out the window, it became clear we were waiting for late-arriving passengers, who were being driven out to the aircraft by van. One moment stood out more than the rest: a straggler exited the bus, flicked a lit cigarette off the air stairs toward the jet engine, and kept walking.

I have never seen ground staff move so fast.

The situation was handled quickly, and after what felt like a long wait, boarding wrapped up.

Inflight experience

All announcements were made in French, which is consistent with Royal Air Maroc's operations.

Despite the relatively short length of the flight, the onboard service was generous. The crew served a breakfast, followed later by a tea service, which felt surprisingly substantial for a three-hour regional flight.

This is an area where Royal Air Maroc still feels very different from many European carriers, where even longer flights often come with little more than buy-on-board options.

The flight itself passed quickly, and before long we were descending into Tunis–Carthage International Airport (TUN).

Arrival in Tunis

We touched down around 10:50 a.m., right on schedule relative to the adjusted departure. From there, it was straight into the start of a fast-paced few days exploring Tunisia.

Final thoughts

AT571 wasn't flashy, but it was comfortable, well-fed, and memorable in ways I didn't expect. The older seats were a pleasant surprise, the service felt generous, and the overall experience was a reminder that not every airline is racing to strip things down to the bare minimum.

If you're connecting through Casablanca or hopping around North Africa, Royal Air Maroc's short-haul product is worth keeping in mind, especially if you value comfort over polish. And if you're wondering what you'd earn on a oneworld partner flight like this, you can always check with our calculator.