Morocco’s Aeronautics reaches Domestic Sourcing Rate of 29%, Exports up 18% in 2017

Morocco’s aviation industry is cruising full speed steadily and spreading its wings for takeoff. This is what the figures released by the aeronautics federation (GIMAS) show. The domestic sourcing rate of the sector jumped from 17% in 2016 to 29% in 2017, while exports value rose by 18.4 during the same period.

This progress is in line with the government’s strategy to bring local sourcing rate to 35% by 2020 building on Morocco’s comparative advantages notably proximity to Europe, low labor costs, stability and political willingness to make this sector a driver of economic growth.

Today 15,500 are employed in Morocco’s aeronautics sector, which aims to generate a turnover of $2.8 billion and create 23,000 jobs by 2020.

To that end, investments by global giants in the sector grew by 18% in 2017 compared to 2016.

Boeing already has a joint venture with France’s Safran in Casablanca to build wire bundles and harnesses for aircraft makers, including Boeing and Airbus.

Besides Boeing, other global aviation industry giants launched investments in Morocco including Bombardier, Latisma, Alcoa and Stelia, a subsidiary of Airbus.

Up to September 2016, 121 companies have been operating in Morocco’s aeronautics sector, which ranks 15th worldwide in terms of attracting aviation industry investments.