RABAT, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of passengers at Moroccan airports grew 11.63 percent in 2017 compared to 2016 to reach a record of over 20.35 million, the national airport office (ONDA) said on Monday.

The increase was seen in the flights serving South America with over 106 percent, North America with 28.02 percent, the Middle East with 13.08 percent and Europe 12.17 percent, ONDA pointed out in a statement.

Morocco's biggest airport, Casablanca international airport, welcomed for the first time more than 9.36 million passengers, recording an increase of 8.6 percent compared to a year earlier, the statement noted.

The number of passengers passing through the airports of the main tourist hubs of Tangier, Fez, Agadir and Marrakech increased by 26.11 percent, 24.93 percent, 15.74 percent and nearly 12 percent, respectively.