Ryanair is to develop up to 20 routes into Morocco aimed at carrying 1 million passengers a year to the north African state.
The plan covers most of the regional airports in Morocco, said the company, which earlier this month announced flights from Marseille in France to three cities in Morocco - Fez, Marrakesh and Oujda.
It also has plans for flights to Morocco from its German base at Frankfurt Hahn.
"Ryanair's commitment ... to Morocco is a vote of confidence by the airline in the excellence and attractiveness of Morocco as a destination both for weekend breaks, mid-week trips and longer holidays," Ryanair Deputy Chief Executive Michael Crawley said in a statement.
In March, low-cost rival easyJet said it was flying beyond its traditional European boundaries for the first time with a route planned to Marrakesh in Morocco starting in July of this year.
Ryanair, which has 15 bases in Europe, plans to double the number of passengers its carries to 70 million by 2010 from around 35 million last year.
Ryanair is unhedged against soaring oil prices but has said higher fares and more passengers are helping to offset rising fuel bills.
On the ISEQ Ryanair's shares were almost 1 per cent weaker at €6.44 euro each by this morning, giving it a market value of around 5 billion euros.
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"Last night I nearly died,
But I woke up just in time".
Duke Special