PHOTO
French aerospace major Safran will invest €280 million ($332 million) to establish a new landing-gear equipment manufacturing facility in the Casablanca airport zone (midparc), the company said in a statement.
The 26,000-square-metre (sqm) plant forms part of Safran’s strategy to support the ramp-up of Airbus A320 production by deploying a modern, high-efficiency manufacturing operation close to key markets, the company said last week.
The facility will produce landing-gear components, modules and hydraulic equipment for short- and medium-haul aircraft and is scheduled to begin operations in 2029. It is expected to employ nearly 500 skilled workers.
LEAP engine ecosystem expansion
The new plant complements Safran’s €320 million ($380 million) expansion in Morocco linked to the CFM International LEAP engine programme, which was announced in October 2025.
The €120 million LEAP engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in the Casablanca airport zone is currently under construction and is set to begin operations in 2027.
The 25,000-sqm facility will be capable of servicing up to 150 engines annually and is expected to create around 600 jobs by 2030, Safran had stated in an October 2025 statement.
It said the site would also host a LEAP-1A engine assembly line dedicated to Airbus aircraft. The €200 million facility, spread over 13,000 sqm, is expected to be operational by the end of 2027, with capacity to assemble up to 350 engines annually and create approximately 300 jobs.
Safran said these facilities will support rising global demand for LEAP engines, which power most next-generation single-aisle aircraft, including the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX.
Supporting global production ramp-up
Safran said the Moroccan LEAP facilities will complement production at its Villaroche site in France and support CFM International’s plan to increase LEAP engine output to around 2,500 units annually from 2028.
The expansion programme also includes upgrades to three existing Moroccan sites: Safran Aerosystems in Tiflet, Safran Electronics & Defense in Casablanca, and Safran Electrical & Power in Ain Atiq. These expanded facilities are expected to begin operations between 2026 and 2027.
Overall, Safran is investing more than €350 million ($415 million) in the two new LEAP engine facilities and the extensions, the statement had noted.
(Writing by N Saeed; Editing by Anoop Menon)
Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.
