Royal Air Maroc and halal food: what the airline publishes and how to confirm it

Start here: the official wording on halal

Royal Air Maroc's special meals page and its economy and business dining pages were read for this guide, and none of them mentions halal. That is not the same as saying the food is not halal. It means the airline does not state it on those pages, so a traveller who needs certainty should not assume it from older articles or from the airline's national identity.

The same pages show that alcohol is served: the economy page refers to alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks with the meal, and the business page mentions a wine selection. Older descriptions of the airline that speak of an alcohol-free cabin are therefore not supported by the airline's own current pages.

The sections below explain what is published, which special meals exist, where they are unavailable, and how to get a written answer on halal before you fly.

How special meals are ordered

The airline says to order a special meal in the Manage my booking section. The business class page adds that special meals must be requested at booking, and the economy page says passengers with religious beliefs, medical needs or food preferences can request them when booking. The special meals page gives no deadline, so do not rely on a last-minute request.

1. Open Manage my booking with your reference and surname.
2. Look for the meal option on each flight segment.
3. Select the closest match to your need and save it for each traveller.
4. Check for a confirmation message and keep it.

If the option does not appear, that is a sign the flight or route is excluded, which the next section explains.

Which special meals exist

The airline lists twelve special meal codes. The ones named on the page include:

• Vegetarian (VGML)
• Diabetic (DBML)
• Gluten-free (GFML)
• Low-calorie (LCML)
• Hindu (HNML)
• Kosher (KSML)
• Meals for children aged two to twelve and for babies up to two

A halal or Muslim meal is not among the options the page names. That is the gap to close with the airline directly. Vegetarian meals are a common fallback for travellers who cannot confirm the status of meat, but a vegetarian tray can still contain ingredients some people avoid, such as alcohol-based flavourings, so ask for the ingredient information as well.

Where special meals are not available

Special meals are offered exclusively on flights operated by Royal Air Maroc itself. If your ticket includes a partner flight, the partner's rules apply.

Domestic routes

They are not offered on domestic routes, with the exception of flights to or from Dakhla and Laayoune.

Departures from specific airports

The airline lists meals that are unavailable at some stations. According to the page:

• Brazzaville: gluten-free, baby, Hindu and kosher
• Cairo: kosher
• Doha: baby and kosher
• Jeddah: kosher
• Medina: gluten-free, baby and kosher
• Pointe-Noire: gluten-free, baby, Hindu and kosher
• Riyadh: Hindu and kosher

Read the current table before travelling, since it can change.

What you can expect to be served

The airline's pages describe cuisine that is Moroccan, African and international. Economy service depends on length: on short flights of roughly one and a half to two and three-quarter hours, hot sandwiches or cold snacks; on medium-haul, a choice of three hot dishes including a vegetarian option, with dessert and cheese; on long-haul, a hot meal and snack, or breakfast. Coffee and green mint tea come at the end.

In business class, short and medium flights include salads, hot dishes, cheese and desserts. Long-haul flights are à la carte, with tagines served in clay dishes, soups and an all-day selection of hot or cold snacks.

None of this says whether a given dish is halal, so the written confirmation matters more than the menu.

How to get a written answer on halal

Because the published pages are silent, ask the airline directly and keep the reply.

• Use the contact form or the customer service telephone number for your country on the airline's website.
• Ask three clear questions: is the meat served on my flight halal, is there a halal or Muslim meal I can select, and is there a certifying body whose name I can see?
• Quote the flight number, date and departure airport, since catering can differ between stations.
• Ask whether the answer applies to both directions of the journey.

A written reply is useful to show at check-in or to cabin crew. If the answer is vague, plan for a vegetarian meal, or bring your own food.

Which standard counts as halal is a question for a qualified scholar; the airline can only describe its own sourcing.

Cabins, drinks and practical points

Alcohol is served in both economy and business, so a seat next to a passenger who is drinking is possible. Cabin crew can offer non-alcoholic drinks, and mint tea is a regular feature of the service. If you want to avoid food cooked with wine or spirits, ask the crew about the dish before eating.

Children's and baby meals follow the same ordering route as other special meals and are subject to the station exclusions listed above, so bring baby food for a departure from an airport on that list.

For families, it helps to remember that the child and baby meal codes follow age bands set by the airline, from birth to two years and from two to twelve. Check the age on the date of each flight, since a child who turns two between outbound and return legs may need a different code on one of them.

Checklist, and what to do if it goes wrong

Before booking and before flying

• Check that every flight is operated by Royal Air Maroc, not a partner.
• Order any special meal at booking in Manage my booking.
• Email or call to ask for halal confirmation, and save the reply.
• Check the departure station against the exclusion list.

At the airport and on board

• Carry a dry snack that you are sure about.
• Tell the cabin crew about the requirement at the start of service.
• Ask to see the packaging or the meal sheet if you are unsure.

If the meal is wrong

Note the flight, date, seat and what was served, then write to customer service with the confirmation of your request. Keep to facts.

Frequently asked questions