Morocco Aerospace: Safran Invests €280m to Build One of World’s Largest Landing Gear Plants

Safran’s landmark €280 million investment in Casablanca will establish one of the world’s largest landing gear production hubs by 2029. The Industry 4.0 facility marks a leap in Morocco’s aerospace value chain, creating 500 high-skilled jobs while operating on 100% decarbonised electricity.

On 13 February 2026, Morocco signed a landmark aerospace manufacturing agreement with Safran, a French multinational corporation specialising in aerospace, defence, and security, at the Royal Palace in Casablanca, signalling Morocco’s definitive transition into a high-tech aerospace powerhouse.

His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Ross McInnes , Chairman of the Board of Directors of Safran

Safran to Support Airbus A320 Production Ramp-Up

Presided over by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Safran Landing Systems committed €280 million (~3 billion MAD) to establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Nouaceur. This hub, engineered to become one of the largest aircraft landing gear production centres in the world, is scheduled for completion in 2029. It is designed to support the production ramp-up of the Airbus A320 family, producing the “precision hydraulics” essential to modern aviation.

Morocco and Safran: A 26-Year Partnership Evolves

This expansion is the culmination of a 26-year partnership. Safran’s Moroccan journey began in 1999 with maintenance services, followed by the 2001 launch of MATIS Aerospace —a joint venture with Boeing and Royal Air Maroc focusing on electrical wiring systems. Over two decades, the cluster diversified into composite nacelles and avionic actuators.

Today, Safran operates 10 sites with over 4,800 employees, 70% of whom are women. This growth is backed by ongoing investments in LEAP engine complexes reaching €350 million (~3.7 billion MAD) as of late 2025. Launched in October 2025 as part of the Aircraft Engine Complex, the LEAP-1A Engine Assembly Line is the first engine assembly site of its kind established by Safran outside of France. It also makes Morocco the first country in Africa with complete aircraft engine assembly and maintenance capabilities.

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Inside Morocco’s New Industry 4.0 Aerospace Facility

The new 26,000 m² landing gear plant in the Midparc zone, situated near Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport, will operate under “Industry 4.0” protocols, featuring automated quality control and digitalised production. Critically, it will be 100% powered by decarbonised electricity, future-proofing the site against evolving green regulations.

Education-to-Factory: Training the Next Generation of Technicians

To staff this facility, 500 high-skilled jobs will be created through an “Education-to-Factory” pipeline with the Institut des Métiers de l’Aéronautique (IMA), ensuring a steady flow of qualified personnel for the new site, building on the IMA’s track record of training approximately 800 technicians annually in specialised fields like precision machining and composite fabrication.

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Manufacturing operator for the A320 program in Morocco

Target 2030: 40,000 Jobs in Moroccan Aerospace

By the end of 2025, Moroccan aerospace exports reached a record 29 billion dirhams (approximately €2.7 billion). As Minister of Industry, Ryad Mezzour noted, “Mastering these complex landing gear systems significantly strengthens Morocco’s position within the global aerospace value chain”.

Looking toward 2030, the Kingdom’s vision is ambitious: doubling aerospace turnover and expanding the workforce to 40,000, ensuring Morocco remains a “partner of trust” in the global aviation industry.

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