(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS - International and low-cost flight are experiencing a boom in Morocco, the first EU partner country in the Mediterranean to have brought in a common air space with the EU-27. The target set by the government in Rabat of 10 million tourists in 2010 with the implementation of the bilateral accord signed with Brussels in 2006 now seems easily achievable. ''In 2008 Morocco saw 8 million tourists, and even more in 2009,'' said Hamid Zhar, air transport director in Morocco, who drew up an overview of the air space ''revolution'' his country is trying out while speaking on the fringes of a Brussels meeting for the Euromed Aviation project, which aims to promote a common air space (EMCAA) between the EU and Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. ''Low cost airlines,'' said Zhar, ''such as Ryanair and Easyjet, have come onto the market with large-scale passenger capacity and frequent flights, which are increasing in number every year.'' However, there has also been local investment in the field: in addition to the most well-known international low costs airlines, ''Moroccan low cost airlines have also been created''. The liberalisation of the air transport sector and the agreement with the EU have allowed for ''an evolution in air traffic in the 2004-2008 period, practically 17% per year. The 2008 economic and financial crisis,'' he added, ''has had an effect on air traffic but, in contrast to what happened at the global level, Morocco saw an 8.5% increase in international traffic in 2008 and in 2009 we are sure to see an even greater increase.'' The EU accord with Morocco has led to significant development in the market and, as a consequence, in the tourism sector, benefitting new destinations. ''We have doubled the frequency of international flights,'' added Zhar, ''at a general level. We began in 2003 with 500 flights and now we have 1100-1200 flights per week. Before the liberalisation there were 20 airlines operating in Morocco while today we have 44'', making for a noteworthy increase in the number of passengers and lines. ''We have an international traffic of 10-11 million passengers,'' noted the director of air transport in Morocco, ''with a total traffic of 13 million, compared with the 5 and a half million in 2003 - a considerable increase.'' Before the accord, traffic was concentrated on Casablanca, while the past few years have seen growing increase in other destinations, thereby benefitting local economies. ''As was seen in Fez, where there was a 40-60% increase on the year, or in Tangier, Marrakesh, Agadir.'' After development in international routes, now the spotlight is on the launch of a new airline, a spin-off of Royal Air Maroc for domestic and regional flights with planes more adapted for short flights and a 72-passenger capacity. Further information on EU-Morocco relations can be found on http://www.enpi-info.eu/list_projects_med.php-country=6. (ANSAmed).