From the Open Sky Agreement to Farnborough 2026, Morocco has become a strategic pillar of Airbus’ global value chain.
The announcement made by Airbus on 22 July 2026, on the sidelines of the Farnborough International Airshow, marks a new milestone in the strategic partnership between the European aircraft manufacturer and Morocco. The group confirmed that it is studying several expansion projects following its acquisition of part of Spirit AeroSystems’ activities. Among the projects under consideration is the establishment of a regional helicopter hub in Morocco, bringing together maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), training, technical support and operational services dedicated to African markets. This new direction confirms Morocco’s growing importance within Airbus’ global industrial strategy and reflects the company’s renewed confidence in the Kingdom’s industrial capabilities.
From the Open Sky Agreement to a World-Class Aerospace Industry
Airbus has been present in Morocco for nearly 75 years, but its expansion gained real momentum in the early 2000s. The year 2006 marked a turning point with the signing of the Open Sky Agreement between Morocco and the European Union, fully liberalizing air transport. This milestone coincided with the launch of Morocco’s Emergence Plan, which identified aerospace as one of the country’s strategic industries. The policy was later reinforced through the Industrial Acceleration Plan (2014-2020) and, more recently, by Morocco’s industrial strategy focused on industrial sovereignty, technological upgrading and the promotion of the Made in Morocco label.
The results have been remarkable. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE), the Moroccan Aerospace Industries Association (GIMAS) and the Foreign Exchange Office, Morocco’s aerospace sector now includes more than 155 companies, including around 40 of the world’s leading aerospace manufacturers and suppliers. The industry employs more than 25,000 highly skilled professionals, compared with fewer than 5,000 at the beginning of the 2000s, generates over MAD 30 billion (approximately US$3 billion) in annual exports, and has achieved a 42% local integration rate, up from less than 15% two decades ago, making Morocco the most integrated aerospace manufacturing ecosystem in Africa.
Today, Morocco is fully integrated into the world’s leading aerospace programmes. Components manufactured in the Kingdom are installed on aircraft produced by Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Bombardier, Dassault Aviation, ATR, as well as by several helicopter and aircraft engine manufacturers. Moroccan production covers precision machining, aerostructures, composite materials, electrical systems, engine components, fuselage sections, aircraft assembly, engineering services and maintenance operations.
Airbus remains one of the key drivers of this industrial success. The company directly employs around 1,300 people in Morocco, collaborates with nearly 100 local suppliers, and supports approximately 1,000 indirect jobs. Even more significantly, every Airbus commercial aircraft now incorporates components manufactured in Morocco, highlighting the confidence the European manufacturer places in Moroccan industrial expertise.
Around Airbus, a world-class industrial ecosystem has gradually emerged, bringing together leading companies such as Safran, Spirit AeroSystems, Collins Aerospace, Hexcel, Thales, Latecoere, Eaton, Stelia Aerospace, Le Piston Français, Aircelle, TDM Aerospace, Matis Aerospace, Sabca Maroc, AAA, along with numerous specialized Moroccan SMEs. Most of these companies are located within MidParc Casablanca, Africa’s first industrial park entirely dedicated to aerospace activities. The ecosystem is further strengthened by a highly qualified workforce trained by the Institute for Aerospace Professions (IMA), which graduates hundreds of specialized technicians and engineers every year.
The New Airbus Hub Marks Morocco’s Next Industrial Leap
The project unveiled at Farnborough represents a new chapter in Morocco’s aerospace development. Airbus plans to establish a regional helicopter hub in the Kingdom, bringing together heavy maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), spare parts logistics, pilot and technician training, and technical support services for operators across Africa. The facility would serve the entire continent, where demand for helicopters continues to grow in civil protection, emergency medical services, offshore operations, mining, energy, infrastructure development, border surveillance and humanitarian missions.
The project is part of Airbus’ global industrial reorganization following its acquisition of part of Spirit AeroSystems’ operations. The European manufacturer is restructuring its production network, strengthening supply chain resilience and positioning industrial activities closer to strategic markets. In this context, Morocco offers significant competitive advantages, including political stability, a business-friendly environment, more than 60 free trade agreements providing access to a market of over 2.5 billion consumers, world-class logistics infrastructure led by Tanger Med, Africa’s and the Mediterranean’s largest container port, more than 1,800 kilometres of highways, Africa’s first high-speed railway line, and a mature industrial ecosystem meeting the highest international standards.
Morocco’s participation in the Farnborough International Airshow, led by AMDIE, GIMAS, the Institute for Aerospace Professions (IMA), together with a strong delegation of industrial companies and innovative start-ups, further illustrates the Kingdom’s growing role in the global aerospace industry. By announcing a new phase of expansion in Morocco, Airbus is sending a powerful signal to international investors: the Kingdom is no longer simply a competitive manufacturing base but has become a strategic global partner, capable of hosting high-value industrial activities, supporting major international aerospace programmes and serving as a gateway to African markets. This new phase reinforces Morocco’s ambition to become one of the leading aerospace hubs in the Euro-African region and a key player in the future of the global aerospace industry.
