Morocco-Airbus Helicopter Deal Stalls Despite High-Level Talks

The presence of the CEO of Airbus Helicopters, Bruno Even, in the delegation accompanying President Emmanuel Macron during his state visit to Morocco at the end of October, did not allow this transaction to be concluded. The French manufacturer also failed to secure this Caracal order for the Royal Armed Forces during the Marrakech Air Show, the Marrakech air show, held from October 30 to November 2.

Airbus Helicopters is continuing negotiations with Morocco for the sale of the Caracal, sources tell the newspaper La Tribune, specifying that discussions are underway on the configuration of the helicopters, prices and conditions. The two parties should conclude the sale by 2025, the French media reports, noting that the manufacturer plans to install a maintenance hub (MRO) in the kingdom in order to capture the West African market.

Airbus Helicopters hopes to secure this Moroccan order to fill a two-year production gap in the H225 line. "We have gone from a peak in H225 deliveries a few years ago to a significant decline. We are reorganizing the H225 line to adapt it to the market and we are freeing up capacity," Bruno Even explained in an interview given in early November to the same media.

The French manufacturer is also continuing negotiations with the United Arab Emirates for the sale of 12 Caracal in order to fill this deficit. Airbus Helicopters is currently working on the manufacture of 38 H225 (plus six as an option) ordered by the German police (Bundespolizei), the first deliveries of which are expected in 2029 and should extend until 2035.