Aviation Industry in Morocco in Full Takeoff

New York – Aviation industry in Morocco is preparing for a new takeoff at full speed. The Kingdom has become a continental economic hub where the aviation industry grows daily.

Over 110 international aeronautic and aerospace companies have opened their doors in Moroccan territory.

The booming industry plans to double its capacity and number of operators and create 23,000 new jobs by 2020, according to L’Economiste.

Because of its strategic geographical location, Morocco is a central base with high-quality facilities and nearly 11,500 aviation professionals, of which 50 percent are women.

Aviation industry weighs heavily on national exports, currently at 4.5 percent, compared to only 1 percent in 2005.

In 2014, export sales surpassed EUR 1 billion (MAD 11 billion), compared to EUR 770 million in 2012.

The entry of giants in the global aviation industry such as Safran, Bombardier, Boeing, and EADS, among others, has given way to major clients choosing Morocco as a setting for international conferences.

This week, Casablanca hosted the third “Aerospace Meetings”, the International Business Convention for the Aerospace Industry, on October 6 and 7, organized by Maroc Export, BCI Aerospace, and GIMAS.

The event was attended by more than 350 participants from 17 countries and over 4,000 guests.

According to El-Hamid Benbrahim Andaloussi, the GIMAS president, the Moroccan aviation sector is ready for the second phase of its development. This new plan for expansion “comes two months after signing the pact for industrial integration for the aerospace industry,” he said.

This new phase is a turning point for the sector, because it will produce higher commitments and benefits to the state and various enterprises.

According to the same report, under the industrial integration contract signed last July, the aviation industry set up four main sectors for a new takeoff:

1. Assembly (aerostructures, machinery, mechanical)

2. EWIS (electrical, wiring, embedded electronics)

3. MRO (maintenance, engine repairs)

4. Engineering (design, development)

“Our common goal to achieve, by 2020, is to attract over a hundred more operators to double the current number,” Benbrahim said.

The sector aims to create 23,000 new jobs and achieve 35 percent integration compared to the current 17 percent. The new jobs are expected to be divided as follows: Assembly 8,700, EWIS 4,900 jobs, MRO 6,000, and Engineering 3,400.

Another goal of the new pact of industrial integration is to double the current turnover by attracting related sector industries in the fields of space, defense, security, composite, embedded electronics, medical and educational services, as well as maintenance.

New subsidiaries are expected to open in European and American markets to boost sales in added value.

The city of Casablanca will see the development of CAP (Casablanca Aero Pole), a new high-tech cluster of industries with the collaboration of Midparc (EPZ Nouaceur) and IMA (Institute of Business Aviation), according to the same source.