Safran’s Billion-Dollar Leap: Moroccan Aerospace Revolution Takes Flight

"Safran will invest 200 million euros ($231 million) to build the assembly line, which will provide 25% of the company’s Airbus-related production, or 350 LEAP-1A engines per year. [...] This will be Safran’s only assembly line outside of France and will be ready by 2028," said Safran Chairman Ross McInnes. Covering an area of 13,000 sq.m, this new site will be operational by the end of 2027 and will be able to assemble up to 350 engines per year. This will complement the existing capacity of the Villaroche (France) site to meet the strong ramp-up challenges of the program. It will create 300 jobs, it is specified.

The new Safran site for LEAP engine maintenance and repair will support the rapid growth of the CFM International LEAP engine fleet, which now powers the majority of the new generation single-aisle aircraft, the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737MAX. With an industrial area of 25,000 sq.m, this workshop will be operational in 2027. The maintenance and repair plant will be operational in 2027 for a total investment of 120 million euros and an annual capacity of 150 engines, McInnes said.

These latest investments follow broader commercial agreements concluded following the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Morocco last year, consolidating ties after years of tensions. Why did Safran choose Morocco? Morocco was chosen in part for its "economic stability," Safran CEO Olivier Andriès told Reuters in a telephone interview. He adds: "Morocco, where Safran already has several facilities, has a workforce with significant skills and this expansion is part of efforts to increase Safran’s supply chain resilience."

Present in Morocco for 26 years, Safran has more than 4,800 employees spread across 10 sites. It is the leading employer in the aerospace sector. The group produces 145,000 aerospace assemblies per year there.