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Moroccan authorities are looking to transform the country into an aviation hub, attracting investors seeking to diversify their supply chains across countries.
Despite some promising developments, Africa’s aviation industry has yet to realize its potential compared to other continents. One key strategy to unlock this potential is for Africa to become a key manufacturer in the aviation space.
Morocco is now one of many countries competing for contracts with major manufacturers looking to speed up production and deliver more planes to meet demand, the AFP reported.
Companies such as Boeing and Airbus, along with their component manufacturers, are subcontracting design, production, and maintenance to countries spanning from Mexico to Thailand.
In its efforts to develop the country’s $2 billion-a-year aerospace industry, Morocco has implemented measures such as providing subsidies to manufacturers of aircraft. This strategy is intended to support the expansion of Moroccan airlines, including the state-owned Royal Air Maroc.
“The needs are huge and we are in a very good position,” Hamid Abbou, the airline’s CEO told AFP. “Most of the big suppliers in Europe are struggling to get people to work in this industry. We don’t have that issue.”
Manufacturers are expanding their search for new locations to build and repair parts due to increased demand, stretching from Eastern Europe to Southeast Asia.
For example, Safran Aircraft Engines, a French manufacturer, sends engines for Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s to a repair plant outside of Casablanca every six to eight years and then sends them back to airlines from countries including Brazil, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The company is among 130 in the sector active in Morocco, where parts ranging from wings to fuselages are produced in an industry that employs 42% women.
While many companies see Morocco as a destination for affordable labour, the industry and government have collaborated to train skilled workers at IMA, an institute for aeronautics professionals located in Casablanca.
Morocco recently became the first country in North Africa and the Middle East to manufacture suicide drones, placing it in the elite of club of drone manufacturers. The drone is said to have some impressive capabilities with the intent of reconnaissance and attack.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has predicted an annual 5% growth rate for Africa’s air industry and suggested that Africa will have one of the fastest-growing aviation sectors in the world within the next two decades.
