“From now on, in terms of engine assembly, the Moroccan site will be the second largest in the world,” said Karim Cheikh, administrator of the Moroccan Aerospace Industries Group (GIMAS) and general director of the Technical Center for Mechanical Industries (CETIM) Morocco, speaking to TelQuel the day after the royal inauguration of Safran’s industrial complex in Casablanca.
For more than 25 years, the French aerospace equipment manufacturer has been expanding its presence in Morocco. It now employs more than 4,800 people across about ten sites. The relationship between the French manufacturer and the kingdom reached a new milestone on October 13 with the announcement of two projects: a maintenance and repair (MRO) site for LEAP engines, and an assembly site for LEAP-1A engines — the first of its kind outside France. Both will be located within Midparc, a free zone dedicated to the aerospace industry in Nouaceur, just a few kilometers from Mohammed V Airport.
“We started with a repair center for the CFM 56 engine, and since then, many activities have developed in Morocco in electrical wiring, nacelles, and so on,” explained Ross McInnes, chairman of the Board of Directors of Safran. In addition to Midparc, the group is also established in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, in Témara and Tiflet.
“When you feel good somewhere, with a strong ecosystem, but also thanks to government policies in this area, it’s only natural to build on that foundation to develop major activities,” emphasized McInnes, adding that “Morocco is both a choice of the heart and of reason.”
Maintenance of LEAP engines
First project: for 120 million euros, an MRO site dedicated to the LEAP engine will be established at Midparc on a 25,000 m² area. The LEAP engine, in service for about ten years, now requires periodic overhauls, said Ross McInnes.
“There isn’t a single civil aircraft in the world that doesn’t include a part produced in Morocco”
Developed by CFM International, a joint venture between Safran and the American GE Aerospace, this next-generation engine, which consumes 15 to 20% less fuel than its predecessor, powers three of the largest commercial aircraft: the Airbus A320neo, the Boeing 737MAX, and the Comac C919. However, the future MRO site in Casablanca will primarily serve the maintenance of the A320neo and 737MAX.
For Fatima-Azzahra Driouach, general director of the Aerospace Moroccan Cluster (AMC), this project strengthens a “high-potential MRO ecosystem, capable of maintaining aircraft for the national fleet and other regional fleets.”
Morocco’s geographic position is also an asset, as it will allow intervention “on thousands of aircraft, notably the new ones of Royal Air Maroc (RAM), but also those of airlines from the Middle East, Europe, and the rest of Africa,” McInnes explained. The AMC general director notes that parts produced in Morocco are already installed on European, American, and Asian aircraft. “There isn’t a single civil aircraft in the world that doesn’t include a part produced in Morocco,” she affirmed.
Next-generation engine assembly
The second project therefore focuses on the assembly of LEAP-1A engines, intended for Airbus. For the first time, aircraft engines will be assembled in Morocco. “We are now part of a small circle of countries capable of assembling an entire engine. It’s the most complex part of an aircraft,” Fatima-Azzahra Driouach shared with us.
It is also the first time that Safran has relocated the assembly of these engines, giving the project a highly symbolic dimension, according to Ross McInnes. Until now, the engines were assembled only in Villaroche, in the Paris region. With a budget of 200 million euros, the new 13,000 m² site will be operational from the end of 2027 and is expected to assemble nearly 350 engines per year.
A strong gesture that demonstrates Safran’s confidence in Morocco. “This innovation launches a new technological era, of complexity, at the top of the aerospace value chain in Morocco. Not to mention the creation of multiple opportunities for our youth, for our small and medium-sized enterprises, and for the entire ecosystem collaboration,” Driouach said with enthusiasm.
Undeniable human potential
A central geographic position, an existing ecosystem, but also excellent human capital : it is the combination of these assets that makes Morocco an obvious choice. Ross McInnes cites the Institute of Aeronautical Professions (IMA), located within Midparc. Inaugurated in April 2011 by King Mohammed VI, the IMA is increasing its capacity to train the human resources needed by aerospace manufacturers establishing themselves in Morocco. The challenge: retaining qualified talent in the face of the attractiveness of European, North American, and Gulf countries.
At the heart of the aerospace ecosystem, “the IMA trains technicians at the request of manufacturers, because they are the ones who oversee the institute. The training provided at the IMA is designed according to the needs of the industry,” explained Karim Cheikh. He also notes that Morocco provides both initial and ongoing training, allowing employees to be supported after their recruitment. “Today, our human capital is of very high quality, whether it’s our engineers or our technicians,” he concluded.
“Morocco has talent, including female talent, in fields where, unfortunately, this is not yet the case for many Western countries”
Ross McInnes also emphasizes Morocco’s training potential and talent at all levels. He points out that 50% of engineering school graduates in Morocco are women. “In France, we shamefully stand at 18%. Morocco has a double advantage. It has talent, and in addition, female talent, in fields where, unfortunately, this is not yet the case for many Western countries,” he added.
On this topic, the AMC director notes that women are present at all levels of the industry, not just in support roles: they are also found in production and in top management.
An attractive ecosystem for engineers
Safran’s new industrial facilities are expected to create 900 jobs by 2030: 600 for the MRO site and 300 for engine assembly, thus enhancing Morocco’s appeal to its engineers.
“Morocco today hosts one of the best aerospace ecosystems in the world”
According to McInnes, Morocco today hosts “one of the best aerospace ecosystems in the world. There are few places where such talent can be gathered within a relatively close radius.” In addition to the IMA, he inevitably mentions Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) as “one of the attractive elements in the training pipeline for Moroccan engineers.”
Fatima-Azzahra Driouach also highlights the Specialized Institute of Aeronautical Professions and Airport Logistics (ISMALA), also located in Nouaceur, which focuses more on the initial training of technicians specializing in aerospace professions, as well as training for careers related to the MRO ecosystem. This center is the result of a public-private partnership between the Office for Vocational Training and Work Promotion (OFPPT) and GIMAS.
Competitiveness of Moroccan green energy
Main feature of the LEAP engine: compared to the previous model, the CFM56, its kerosene consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are reduced by 15%. To contribute to more sustainable aviation, Safran also aims to decarbonize its industrial sites, targeting a 50% reduction in their CO2 emissions by 2030.
Safran’s Casablanca nacelle factory already partially uses self-produced energy via photovoltaic panels. For the new complex, electricity will be supplied by the National Office of Electricity and Water (ONEE) from various production sites in Morocco. During the inauguration, an agreement was signed ensuring access to renewable energy for most of its Moroccan sites by 2026.
“Today, through this project, we are showing that Morocco is capable of providing solutions in terms of decarbonization and competitiveness”
After participating in the CGEM-Medef meeting in Dakhla, McInnes shared his impressions: Morocco has “practically inexhaustible” renewable energy sources, “from what I saw in Dakhla.” It remains for the Moroccan authorities to develop the necessary grid to deliver this energy, particularly to Casablanca.
“Today, through this project, we are showing that Morocco is capable of providing solutions in terms of decarbonization and competitiveness,” the AMC director said enthusiastically, adding that the competitiveness of green energy makes Morocco attractive for the aerospace industry.
In any case, she points out, it is an imperative. Due to the European carbon tax, manufacturers will no longer be able to export if they are not decarbonized. “Achieving 100% decarbonization seems utopian to me, but Morocco’s renewable energy supply already allows for a considerable reduction in the carbon footprint: a real factor of competitiveness,” Fatima-Azzahra Driouach concluded.
Written in French by Salomé Krumenacher, edited in English by Eric Nielson
