Spirit AeroSystems launches Moroccan manufacturing

Image courtesy Spirit AeroSystems

Spirit’s Morocco facility recently started producing the aft and forward fuselage sections as well as the keel-beams for the Airbus A220 aircraft. The site has developed expertise in manufacturing a range of components for Bombardier business jets and now joins Spirit global sites already delivering on Airbus commercial programmes.

The structures are dispatched from Morocco for assembly at Spirit’s Belfast facility in Northern Ireland. Both sites were acquired by Spirit in 2020 as part of a diversification strategy, adding significant Airbus content and further developing Spirit’s global footprint as well as increasing its aftermarket business.

Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, and senior executives from Airbus and Royal Air Maroc, joined Stephen Orr, Vice-President and General Manager, Spirit AeroSystems, Morocco, at the recently extended 250,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Midparc, Casablanca’s aerospace industrial park. More than 300 employees are supporting Spirit programmes there, as the site continues to expand its manufacturing portfolio.

"Today, we proudly celebrate the meteoric growth experienced by Spirit’s Midparc site, where construction was launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, in September 2013. Since then, the plant, at the cutting edge of technology specialising in the manufacture of aeronautical parts and structures, has established itself as one of the flagships of the aerospace industry in Morocco,” said Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade.

“Spirit's new programme, producing high-tech fuselage sections in Africa for the Airbus A220, following the recent extension of its site, further strengthens the Kingdom's positioning in complex, high value-added processes, as well as the international influence of our national aeronautics ecosystem. Our solid partnership with Spirit will continue with the same enthusiasm and could present future development opportunities in Morocco," the Minister said.

“The Kingdom already builds parts for all of Airbus' commercial aircraft, including the A220. This aircraft is the latest addition to our product line and consequently to our industrial footprint in Morocco. With this achievement, A220 parts manufacturing is now well integrated in the Moroccan aerospace ecosystem and can proudly be described as ‘Made in Morocco’. Today, we celebrate another milestone in our relationship with Morocco and Spirit AeroSystems, and we look forward to progressing a robust and sustainable aviation industry together," said Mikail Houari, President, Airbus Africa and Middle East.

Stephen Orr, Vice-President and General Manager, Spirit AeroSystems, Morocco, said: "We are developing an ambitious roadmap to accelerate the growth of our Casablanca site, with the support of our Ministry of Industry and Trade, and are delighted to extend our manufacturing capability to include this latest programme for Airbus. We look forward to working closely with Spirit’s Belfast team, who also supply the integrated wings for the A220 aircraft and to building a strong and rewarding relationship with Airbus.”