The Moroccans of the Chicagoland area and the broader American Midwest (Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Minnesota, Kansas, etc) call for Royal Air Maroc to instate an additional flight, direct from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Casablanca. There are several reasons, namely:

1. The population and history of Moroccans in Chicago
2. Chicago is the hub for the Midwest.
3. The extreme growth in Moroccan communities.
4. O’Hare as an international hub for travel.

The first reason for instating an additional flight in Chicago is due to the demands of the growing populations of Morocco in Chicago and surrounding areas. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, the official site for historical advances for the city of Chicago, Moroccans, starting from 1980’s, have developed organizations, businesses, and mosques in the Chicagoland area. The Maghreb Assembly, founded and active from the mid-1990s, “sponsors a variety of activities, from meeting new arrivals at O'Hare airport, to setting them up with employment, housing, and schools, to teaching English and computer skills at a mosque on the corner of Elston and Montrose Avenues." Several restaurants and cafés have served in the area as well. The Maghreb Assembly is not the only organization, there is also MANA (Maghreb Association of North America), MIC (Moroccan in Chicago), MAHA (Moroccan American Heritage Association), and many more.

 The second reason for instating a Royal Air Maroc flight direct from Chicago is due to Chicago’s positioning in the Midwest. Forgetting the Moroccan population in Chicago, heavy concentrations of Moroccans live in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis. Residents of the Midwest frequently use O’Hare international airport as their main mode of international transportation, and it is the home-ground for international flights coming out (and into) the Midwest. 

 Third, according to the 2012 Census, the last estimated number of Moroccans in Chicago was 5000 residents (which is a conservative estimate to say the least). This number has surely increased twofold, considering the increasing birth populations and new immigration waves from 2012-2016. Also, considering the fact that Moroccans are the 2nd Largest Arab Nationality to Receive US Visas in 2021 (according to a report US State Department), the fact remains true – Moroccan immigrants in the US are rapidly growing, and additional flight options need to be made available to this growing populations of Moroccans. 

 Fourth, O’Hare is an international hub for travel. It is surprising that Royal Air Maroc has not capitalized on the fact that O’Hare is not only one of the most operated airports in the U.S., but also in the entire world. According to Business Insider, Chicago O'Hare International Airport is currently the sixth busiest airport in the world. Over 77.9 million individuals travel through this hub annually. Royal Air Maroc is not only losing on the Moroccan immigrants from the Midwest, Western Canada, and Western U.S., but it is also losing out on extreme potential possibilities for tourism and other visitors. 

Thus, for these four reasons, we kindly request to bring a Royal Air Maroc Flight from Chicago O’Hare to Casablanca.

Sources:

Moroccans in Chicago. (2004). Www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org; Encyclopedia of Chicago. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2509.html

Rahhou, J. (2022). Moroccans Are Second Largest Arab Nationality to Receive US Visas in 2021. Morocco World News. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/12/353216/moroccans-are-second-largest-arab-nationality-to-receive-us-visas-in-2021