FLIGHTS to Africa will soon take off from Bournemouth – in a first for the airport. 

Irish-based airline Ryanair will fly to Agadir on the south west coast of Morocco from April 1. 

Regular flights to the city will happen every Monday and Thursday from Bournemouth Airport. 

Agadir is Ryanair's 19th destination from Bournemouth following a successful 2023 season which saw it base a second aircraft at the airport for the summer, increasing the number of flights by 30 per cent to 120 a week. 

Tripadvisor describes Agadir as southern Morocco’s most-visited city, adding it has “well-maintained beaches”.  

Bournemouth Echo:

It boasts "palm-lined boulevards with beachfront bars 'adding a decidedly Western-resort feel". 

Bournemouth Airport now has 36 destinations on offer, including Spain, Greece, France, Italy, Croatia, Malta, Poland and more. 

Tour operator TUI has already announced it will add a second aircraft at Bournemouth in 2024 with an extra 60,000 seats available, a 33 per cent increase on its 2023 schedule. 

Steve Gill, managing director of Bournemouth Airport, said he is “confident” of seeing more than one million passengers pass through the terminal in 2024. 

As part of the anticipated growth, airport owners Regional and City Airports will be pumping more than £5m into new facilities, equipment, staff and training. 

Bournemouth Airport has said passengers will notice several improvements over the coming months as part of the investment programme. 

These include an upgraded security search area with new scanning kit to relax the restriction on liquids and the need to take electronics out of bags when the works are complete.

Ryanair DAC chief executive Eddie Wilson said the flights from Bournemouth are part of a wider $1.4 billion investment in Morocco this summer.

He said he expects Ryanair to transport more than five million passengers to the African country this year.