French aerospace giant Safran invests €320 million to build Airbus engine line in Morocco

French aerospace giant Safran has signed two major agreements with Morocco to establish a new engine assembly line for Airbus jets and a maintenance and repair facility near Casablanca, a move that further strengthens Morocco’s position as a growing global hub for aerospace manufacturing.

Safran will invest €120 million ($139 million) to build the assembly line, which will produce around 350 LEAP-1A engines annually, roughly a quarter of Safran’s total Airbus-related output, according to Reuters.

The LEAP engines are built through CFM International, Safran’s joint venture with GE Aerospace, and power aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo, the Boeing 737 MAX, and China’s COMAC C919.

A second project, a €200 million maintenance and repair plant, is expected to be operational by 2027, with an annual capacity of 150 engines.

According to Safran CEO Olivier Andriès, Morocco was chosen partly because of its economic stability and skilled workforce, both of which make it an attractive alternative for European manufacturers seeking to diversify production. The expansion, he said, will also improve Safran’s supply chain resilience.

Until now, Safran’s Villaroche plant outside Paris has been the company’s main site for Airbus LEAP-1A engines, capable of producing about 1,000 units per year across three lines.

Morocco, already home to several Safran facilities, has worked to attract aerospace investment through generous incentives, including coverage of up to 30% of capital expenditures and access to industrial real estate in specialised zones such as Midparc, where the new plants will be located.

The North African country is betting that aerospace could mirror its automotive industry’s success. With more than 150 aerospace firms employing 25,000 people, Morocco’s aerospace exports rose to 26 billion dirhams ($2.8 billion) in 2024, up from 21.8 billion dirhams a year earlier.

Alongside Safran, global players like Boeing and Royal Air Maroc are deepening their presence in Morocco, further solidifying the country’s status as Africa’s second-largest industrial economy and a rising aerospace power.