To the beat of local traditional singers and dancers, the Solar Impulse HB-SIA, piloted by André Borschberg, was warmly welcomed in Ouarzazate International airport, at the doorstep of Morocco’s desert, tonight Thursday 21 June, at 23:25 (UTC).

Throughout the week, the team’s enthusiasm and impatience to discover new landscapes of its North African host did nothing but escalate. After such a beautifully clear-skied and mystical take-off, our guts were telling us it this was it; we would make it.  

Aside from the joy of the team, it was an extremely challenging flight, one of the most difficult feats the HB-SIA has ever had to face. Because of the hot and arid climate in the region, the area is infested with strong winds, thermal currents and frequent thunderstorms. The region’s topography has been a useful training experience for all, effectively preparing all members of the crew to better react in times of crisis and also unveiling new meteorological obstacles to the Mission Control Center (MCC) team. In fact, thanks to the sophisticated modeling programs of the Solar Impulse MCC, support from the Ouarzazate meteorologists and André’s expert piloting skills, the flight concluded smoothly and successfully.

“Striving for the impossible is the DNA of our team” commented Bertrand Piccard, Initiator, Pilot and Chairman of Solar Impulse referring to the extreme challenge of reaching this difficult destination.

“It was a beautiful flight with some amazing contrasts between the coast and interior landscapes, but the highlight was the view of the Atlas Mountains: breathtaking!” said André Borschberg to the cheering of the Solar Impulse team, President of the Commune, the Governor of Ouarzazate, Representative of local Authorities and local journalists. “It still remains one of the most difficult flights we’ve done and it wasn’t easy to find the adequate altitude to avoid turbulence, to charge the batteries and to avoid being too cold. But Ouarzazate was our final destination and we made it! It is a great satisfaction to finally be here for our project and our host.”

Flying to Morocco’s Ouarzazate region is filled with symbolism as it is both Solar Impulse's and the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy’s common message: to invest in innovative projects today for job creation and sustainable growth tomorrow.

“We are glad André, Bertrand and the overall team could make this dream come true. We believed in their capacity to do so and are very proud to warmly welcome them in Ouarzazate where every single person was awaiting us”, said Masen’s President Mustapha Bakkoury.

As every day since Solar Impulse’s arrival in Morocco, official visits and events will take place for schools, universities, associations, local companies and political personalities. Photos and videos of the events will be uploaded on the Solar Impulse and Masen websites and Blog.