Can I fly to the desert instead of driving?

There is no airport at Merzouga itself, so the short answer is you can't fly directly to the dunes — but you can get close. The nearest airport to the Erg Chebbi dunes is Errachidia (ERH), about an hour and a bit by road from Merzouga. For the Zagora and Erg Chigaga side, Ouarzazate (OZZ) is the gateway. Both are small domestic airports served mainly by Royal Air Maroc, and crucially the flights are not daily and often route through Casablanca, so you need to check schedules carefully.

The reason most of my travellers still drive is simple: the journey is a huge part of the experience. Flying skips the High Atlas pass, Aït Benhaddou and the gorges entirely — you'd trade the best scenery in southern Morocco for a couple of hours saved, and once you factor in getting to the airport, the connection through Casablanca and the transfer at the other end, the time saving often shrinks to almost nothing. For a first visit, I genuinely think the road is the better choice.

Where flying does make sense is for travellers who are tight on days or who don't enjoy long drives. A good pattern is to drive Marrakech to the desert one way, soaking up the scenery, then fly home or onward from Errachidia rather than backtracking — that cuts out a whole transit day. Some people also fly in to Errachidia, transfer straight to a camp for one night, and fly out, which is the fastest possible 'taste of the Sahara' if your schedule is brutal. Private charter flights and even helicopter transfers exist for luxury clients, but the cost is considerable.

My practical advice: drive at least one direction if you possibly can, and use a flight only to save the return slog or to fit the desert into a very short trip. Always confirm the flight actually operates on your dates — these regional routes get thinned out in low season — and remember you'll still have a road transfer at the end, because the dunes are not next to any runway. Treat flying as a time-saver for the return, not a replacement for the journey out.