Morocco: The New Aviation Hub with Skilled Labor and Affordable Costs
Morocco aims to become an aviation hub by attracting investors looking to expand their supply chains and access affordable labor.
The North African country is among several competing for contracts with plane manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus, who are outsourcing design, production, and maintenance to countries including Mexico and Thailand.
Morocco's $2 billion-a-year aerospace industry is part of a long-term plan to diversify its economy, which has been largely agricultural, by subsidizing manufacturers of planes, trains, and automobiles.
Moroccan officials are optimistic about expanding the country's airlines, including state-owned Royal Air Maroc, due to a labor advantage in the aviation industry.
The industry is experiencing demand rebound after the pandemic, but manufacturers like Boeing are facing challenges in meeting the demand due to supply chain issues and high-profile emergencies.
Boeing's deliveries have been further delayed by crashes.
The text discusses how manufacturers, including Safran Aircraft Engines from France, are expanding their operations to new locations, such as Morocco, to meet increasing demand for aircraft parts repair and production.
Safran sends engines for Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s to Morocco for repair and then sends them back to airlines in various countries.
Morocco is home to over 130 companies in the aeronautics industry, which employs a high proportion of women.
While labor costs may be a draw, the industry and government have invested in training skilled workers at IMA, an aeronautics professions institute in Casablanca.
Safran CEO Jean-Paul Alary spoke at an event marking the company's 25-year partnership with Royal Air Maroc.
He expressed hope for the growth of Morocco's aviation industry due to increasing industry demand and labor shortages in Europe.
Alary emphasized the importance of Morocco's well-trained workforce as key to achieving Safran's goals.