Pratt & Whitney Canada starts construction of new facility in Casablanca, another step towards boosting the Kingdom’s aerospace industry

In a major step towards strengthening Morocco’s aerospace industry, Pratt & Whitney Canada, part of the RTX Group, held earlier this week a groundbreaking ceremony for its new facility in the Kingdom, known as Pratt & Whitney Morocco (PWM), in the mid-park area in Casablanca.

This new 12,000 square metre facility marks a milestone for Moroccan aerospace industry and will be dedicated to the manufacture of aircraft engine parts, including static and structural vacuum-processed components.

The $70.8 Million new plant is expected to create 200 to 250 jobs once it reaches full capacity by 2030.

“Today, we are witnessing the completion of this great project from Pratt & Whitney with the laying of the first stone. The giant’s decision to invest in Morocco shows once again investors’ confidence in the Moroccan industrial platform and its competitiveness”, Morocco’s minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, said during the ceremony.

“This major project is part of the drive to upgrade the Moroccan aeronautical base by integrating a cutting-edge, innovative and technologically demanding activity,” he added.

For her part, Maria Della Posta, president, Pratt & Whitney Canada, said that Morocco was selected after a careful global benchmarking effort that pointed to Casablanca’s growing hub of aerospace companies including RTX ’s Collins Aerospace.

“Since the announcement of this significant investment less than a year ago, Pratt & Whitney Morocco has made rapid progress in hiring an initial cohort of local employees and working closely with local schools, agencies, and the business community to achieve our goal of being fully operational next year”, she underlined.

As of today, the company has started the hiring of employees with the support of the Institut des Métiers de l’Aéronautique (IMA).

Pratt & Whitney Canada has successfully completed the installation of 80% of major machines in the temporary site in Mid-parc to support development activities.

PWM is being built with lean operating principles to drive efficiency, improve quality and reduce complexity and costs. It will also incorporate advanced environmental practices, a core value for the Company.

Once operational, PWM will complement Pratt & Whitney Canada’s current manufacturing sites and supply chain and will help secure parts to meet the strong global customer demand. Detailed machined parts and components will support a variety of the company’s engine families, supplementing existing Pratt & Whitney facilities and suppliers.

This investment is a demonstration of the growing confidence in the Moroccan investment environment and highlights the great potential the Kingdom has to offer in the field of high-tech industries.

Pratt & Whitney Morocco will make a significant contribution to the future of the aerospace industry in Morocco and the region, cementing the Kingdom’s position as a leading centre of innovation and excellence in this vital industry.