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Tuesday 28 June 2022

Spirit AeroSystems Launches New Airbus Manufacturing Program in Morocco

Spirit AeroSystems Launches New Airbus Manufacturing Program in Morocco

Spirit AeroSystems, one of the world's largest manufacturers of aerostructures for commercial airplanes, defense platforms, and business/regional jets, celebrated, Monday in Casablanca, the official launch of the production of Airbus A220 aircraft fuselage components at its 25,000 sqm site in Midparc, which was recently expanded.

Spirit's Moroccan facility recently began producing fuselage components, the front and rear sections of the Airbus A220 aircraft. It has developed expertise in manufacturing components for Bombardier's business jets and has now joined Spirit's sites that already supply Airbus commercial programs.

Fuselage components are shipped from Morocco for assembly at Spirit's facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Both sites were acquired by Spirit in 2020 as part of a major diversification strategy, which adds significant Airbus content and further develops Spirit's global footprint, as well as its aftermarket services business.

To this end, Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour said he was proud to present the largest aircraft part built in Africa.

Today, we proudly celebrate the booming growth of this site, whose construction works had been launched by HM King Mohammed VI, in September 2013 at Midparc. Since that time, this cutting-edge plant has established itself as one of the flagships of the aerospace industry in Morocco, he stated.

Spirit's new program to produce the largest fuselage sections in Africa further strengthens the positioning of the Kingdom on complex processes with high added value, as well as the international influence of the national aerospace ecosystem, the minister added.

For his part, Vice President and General Manager of Spirit AeroSystems in Morocco, Stephen Orr, noted that the group has developed an ambitious roadmap to accelerate the site's growth with the support of the Ministry of Industry, saying the group is delighted to expand its manufacturing capacity to include this latest Airbus program.

"We look forward to working with the Spirit team in Belfast, which also supplies the integrated wing for the A220 aircraft, and building a strong and rewarding relationship with Airbus," he noted.

In the same vein, Mikail Houari, President of Airbus Africa and the Middle East, noted that the Kingdom already manufactures parts for all Airbus commercial aircraft, including the A220,

"This aircraft is the latest addition to our product range and therefore to our industrial footprint in Morocco," he added.

MAP 27 June 2022