Already considered a hub for the automotive industry in Africa, Morocco is now focusing on the aeronautical industry sector. A private jet manufacturing plant has opened in Casablanca, Morocco.
The Swiss manufacturer Pilatus and the Belgian group Sabca signed, on Monday, August 30, 2021, a contract for the complete assembly in Casablanca of the aerostructures of the PC-12 aircraft, a private jet model unique in the world. The first wing fuselage assembled at Sabca’s new industrial unit in Casablanca will be ready for delivery to the final assembly line in Stans, Switzerland, by the end of 2022.
A unique private jet model will be manufactured in Casablanca
Signed in front of Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Minister of Industry, Trade, Green and Digital Economy, this contract marks the start of a new long-term partnership between Pilatus and Sabca. It constitutes an important step which takes advantage of the aerospace ecosystem in Morocco.
“We are proud of this new long-term partnership between Pilatus and Sabca Maroc. This agreement will certainly help to strengthen the Moroccan aerospace perspective and further accelerate the sustained growth experienced by the national aeronautics sector, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, to maintain its position as a top quality production platform and to promote improvement. skills through the development of new highly technological activities, ”said Moulay Hafid Elalamy.
The first delivery of the Moroccan PC-12 scheduled for the end of 2022
“This collaboration is a testament to the great ability of our local supply base to meet the expectations of international OEMs such as Pilatus. This not only confirms Morocco’s credibility as an essential aeronautical production partner, but also our resilience and our competitiveness in this new context of crisis. We congratulate Sabca on this achievement and we welcome Pilatus to Morocco, ”he added.
As a reminder, the Pilatus PC-12, the only aircraft that lands on an unprepared runway, is versatile enough to perform various missions ranging from executive transport, freight, air ambulance to air or government missions. Since its first flight in 1994, the aircraft has been a bestseller in its class and to this day. More than 1,800 copies have been delivered.