The Moroccan Airports Authority (ONDA) have partnered with National Aviation Services (NAS), to launch the first electronic gates (E-gates) at the Pearl Lounge in the Marrakech Menara Airport departures area. The innovation is the first of its kind solution across Africa.

With this development, guests visiting the Pearl Lounge can access the lounge faster without checking in at the reception desk or waiting in a queue. The passengers simply scan their printed or online boarding pass at the gate and gain entry to the lounge.

The E-gate effectively captures all the boarding pass data, checks eligibility, records the transaction into a database for billing and reporting, and opens the gate for eligible passengers - in less than 2 second.

Group CEO of NAS, Hassan El-Houry, said “As the exclusive lounge operator for the Moroccan Airports Authority (ONDA) in Morocco, NAS is responsible for bringing world class facilities and services to the local airports. Since kicking off operations in the country, we have invested in infrastructure, resources and training; provided operational expertise, state of the art technology solutions and industry benchmarked services, to launch and manage refurbished lounges across the country. The newly introduced E-gates will help enhance our offerings in the country and amplify our efforts to ensure that Moroccan airports supersede recognized international airports around the world.”

NAS operations spread across 17 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa; providing ground handling services to seven out of the world’s top ten airlines and managing 31 airport lounges. With an expanded portfolio of aviation services and certified by IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO), NAS also has demonstrated expertise in supporting local hub carriers in the Middle East and Africa.