Colt Aviation (São Paulo Congonhas) is hunting the market for B737-300s which it plans to convert into B737-300(F) freighters. The Brazilian cargo operation has already acquired three ex-Royal Air Maroc (AT, Casablanca Int'l) B737-400s (msn's 26526, 26529 and 26530) for conversion into freighters and plans to use them on its planned launch due in Q3 of this year.

Royal Air Maroc (AT, Casablanca Int'l) is set to make a return to the South American market with the launch of Casablanca Int'l to São Paulo Guarulhos flights effective December 20, ch-aviation can exclusively reveal. The Moroccan national carrier will use one of its four B767-300s to operate the three times weekly route. RAM last served Rio de Janeiro Int'l up until the early 1990s.

Denim Air ACMI (J7, Amsterdam) will operate two EMB-190s for Royal Air Maroc (AT, Casablanca Int'l) and not Régional (YS, Nantes) as previously reported. According to Amadeus schedule data, the two regional jets will supplement the Moroccan carrier's fleet on its summer network throughout Scandinavia and West Africa.

S7 Airlines (S7, Novosibirsk) is planning to add four Airbus A321-200s, (c/n 2064, 2076, 2726, 3070) all of which were previously with Royal Air Maroc (AT, Casablanca Int'l). The four jets, currently in storage at Casablanca Int'l, will become S7's first A321s. The Russian carrier operates a near all-Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) fleet consisting of twenty A319-100s, sixteen A320-200s and two B767-300s.

Royal Air Maroc (AT, Casablanca Int'l) could be tied-up with a Gulf carrier ahead of a later privatisation, according to the country’s tourism minister, Haddah Lahcen. In an interview with ArabianBusiness, Mr Lahcen said regarding a possible deal with Emirates (EK, Dubai Int'l) or Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi Int'l), that his government wouldn't rule that out as "they are very respectable, very big, well managed companies with a very good business model." On the issue of privatization, Mr Lahcen said there will be privatisation, but that it would "probably be some kind of strategic alliance with a good carrier." Last year, a 44% stake in the airline was mentioned as being "available" though no overt offers were ever made. The Moroccan national carrier has been a heavy drain on the North African kingdom's fiscus which, despite having been bailed out by Rabat to the tune of USD193million in 2011, has continued to accrue losses, the most recent being a USD672million knock posted in it's latest financial year.