Terminal 1

Royal Air Maroc’s older Terminal 1: more queues, more checks

Terminal 1 at CMN handles most Royal Air Maroc flights plus Air Europa, Emirates, Iberia, and Lufthansa, and it feels older and more chaotic than T2. Before you even see a check-in desk, bags go through an X-ray right at the building entrance, then you head upstairs for check-in. After that, there is another full security screening and passport control, so build in at least 3 hours from curb to gate on anything international.

Check-in for Royal Air Maroc in T1 usually sits on the upper level closest to the main entrance side, with other carriers like Emirates and Lufthansa using nearby banks during their departure waves. Lines here move faster than passport control, but that first X-ray at the door can still back up 10–20 minutes in the late-night Africa bank. If you are tight on time, head straight upstairs after the entrance scan instead of lingering at landside cafés like Snack Casa.

Security and immigration upstairs are the real choke point in Terminal 1, with multiple document checks and paper immigration forms that slow everything down. Reviews mention non‑Moroccan passports waiting over 60 minutes at passport control during early‑morning and late‑evening banks. Regulars fill out the white immigration form in line before reaching the officer to avoid being pulled aside and losing their place.

Airside in T1 roughly splits into two gate zones, with Royal Air Maroc narrowbodies for regional Africa and Europe often leaving from the mid‑teens and 20s. The farther gates past the main duty free cluster can feel slightly calmer after the late‑night RAM departures, especially after 23:00. Watch the FIDS screens frequently; flyers report gate changes inside 30 minutes of boarding with no audible announcement.

Food options in Terminal 1 skew toward big chains, with PAUL and Burger King near the central departures area and Starbucks, Segafredo, Café Ritazza, and Illy Caffè scattered near various gate clusters. Expect airport pricing: a basic coffee at Starbucks or Illy often runs around 35–40 MAD, and a Burger King combo lands closer to 90–100 MAD. Snack Casa and Café Aero cover the simpler sandwiches and mint tea if you want something more local than a Frappuccino.

Lounges are one of the few ways to escape the noise in this terminal. The Royal Air Maroc Le Zénith Lounge serves RAM business and oneworld elites, while the Casablanca Aspire Lounge, Pearl Lounge, and a generic VIP Lounge take a mix of airlines and paid or Priority Pass access. Lounges in T1 usually sit one level above the main pier, reached by elevators or stairs near the central duty free area; standard opening runs from about 05:00 to 23:00, but overnight coverage can be patchy, so check your specific lounge hours.

Shopping is anchored by ATU Duty Free right after security, useful for last‑minute argan oil or packaged sweets, and backed up by Parfumerie du Maroc, Souvenirs du Maroc, a small Bijouterie, and a Pharmacie Aéroport for painkillers and basic meds. Relay handles books, magazines, and snacks, while Tech Shop sells cables and travel adapters if your plug dies. Prices sit on the high side; a simple USB cable can hit 120 MAD, so bring your own if you can.

Power outlets in T1 are scarce and sometimes broken, so regulars hunt along the seating around PAUL and near the later gate cafés instead of the central halls. Some report crawling along walls to find a single working socket for a laptop charge before a Royal Air Maroc redeye to West Africa. If you see a working outlet, plug in immediately rather than waiting until boarding starts.

Connections through T1 can feel rough. Transit passengers often face another security check and immigration filter, even when bags are checked through, and signage toward the transit corridor is not always obvious. Royal Air Maroc’s guidance says to follow painted ground markings and police instructions into the transit zone and then head straight to your new gate; missing this turn can dump you landside and force you to repeat the whole security and passport sequence.

One practical move: on any non‑Schengen or Africa‑bound flight from T1, arrive a full 3 hours early, fill out the immigration form in line, and clear security and passport control before you think about coffee; the cafés and ATU Duty Free sit airside, and the real time sink is those upper‑level checks, not check‑in itself.