Airbus plans to open a third plant in Morocco and launch a helicopter maintenance business in the Kingdom that could serve customers in West Africa, according to details provided by its local representative, Mickaël Bertrand, and published on October 10 and 12, 2026.
The project would raise the group's industrial footprint in the country by about 23,000 additional square metres, an increase of close to 30%. The future plant would cover some 6,900 square metres and be dedicated to design, manufacturing and assembly activities. Airbus has, however, not disclosed an investment amount, production capacity or construction timetable.
The helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul activity is due to be set up in the coming months. It would target the Moroccan market and could also handle aircraft operated in West Africa. The group had already announced in 2024 the creation in Morocco of a customer centre to support helicopters in service with the Moroccan armed forces and to evolve into a regional maintenance centre.
The formal announcement of the industrial expansion is expected in the coming months, meaning the project remains, at this stage, an intention set out by the group rather than a plant under construction. The available information does not yet allow an assessment of the number of jobs, the suppliers concerned or the expected level of local content.
The expansion comes as Moroccan aeronautical exports reached 22.969 billion dirhams in the first eight months of 2026, up 21.5% year on year, according to Office des changes data reported by Médias24. The Kingdom's aeronautics activities comprise some 160 companies, according to the Moroccan Aeronautical and Space Industries Group.
Headcount figures associated with Airbus in Morocco vary depending on the scope used. The group's representative cited more than 1,300 employees and around a hundred local suppliers, while earlier communications included a broader scope following the acquisition of the Casablanca site of Spirit AeroSystems. Airbus has been present in the country since 1951 through activities now attached to Airbus Atlantic.