Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Trade has expressed satisfaction with the definitive agreement Bombardier and US Spirit AeroSystems reached regarding an aeronautics manufacturing site.

In October, Canada’s Bombardier announced it entered into an amended definitive deal to sell its aeronautics facilities in Belfast and Casablanca to Spirit AeroSystems Holdings.

Morocco’s trade ministry commented on the deal, with satisfaction as Spirit’s operation will “contribute to the development of the Moroccan aeronautics supply chain.”

In a statement, the ministry said that it is in constant contact with the US company, emphasizing that both parties worked together to finalize a “smooth and orderly takeover agreement, following Bombardier’s decision to refocus its activities on business aircraft.”

Minister of Industry Moulay Hafid Elalamy said the North African country is delighted with the arrival of Spirit AeroSystems, describing the company as a “benchmark player in Morocco.”

He said that the US company’s takeover “attests to the confidence that renowned investors” have in Morocco as a “competitive industrial platform.”

Spirit AeroSystems is one of the world’s leading companies in manufacturing aerostructures for civil and military aviation.

For the Ministry of Trade, the US company’s decision to acquire the Casablanca site is a “recognition of the unique capabilities and great growth potential offered by the aeronautics sector in Morocco.”

The Bombardier site in Casablanca expanded from 10,000 square meters to 25,000 square meters.

The ministry said that the challenge now for the US company is to develop its activities with Airbus to serve Boeing and to strengthen its “industrial footprint from the Casablanca site.”

Morocco seeks to achieve further growth in the aviation and aeronautics industry, which is one of the country’s key economic pillars.

In the first 11 months of 2017 Morocco’s aviation industry brought in more than $1 billion compared to $870 million in 2016, statistics from Morocco’s foreign exchange office said in 2018.

Morocco’s government is proud of the achievements the country has achieved in the sector.

“In 18 years, Morocco has been able to build a quality, diversified and competitive aeronautical base. The sector has shown an outstanding dynasim and remarkable growth,” the trade ministry has said.

Several operators in the industry are active in Morocco, including Boeing, Safran, Eaton Selia, and others.

“More than 140 companies are established in the sector. They have created nearly 17,000 direct jobs and have generated an overall turnover of 17.35 BN MAD [$1.9 billion] in 2018,” the ministry said.