Executives from Airbus, Safran and Lockheed Martin said Wednesday that Morocco is becoming more deeply embedded in global aerospace and defense supply chains, with companies increasingly relying on local production, engineering and industrial partnerships rather than treating the country only as an investment destination.
Speaking during a panel on global value chains and industrial sovereignty at the eighth Marrakech Air Show, Airbus Africa and Middle East head Gabriel Semelas said Moroccan-made components are now present on aircraft across the company’s global fleet.
Airbus’ industrial presence in Morocco has expanded from aerostructures and composite materials into more complex electrical assembly, he said, supporting more than 1,200 direct aerospace jobs. Semelas added that parts manufactured in Morocco were used on an A350 whose first flight he attended in Toulouse last week.
He said cooperation with Moroccan industry and universities had become important to Airbus’ ability to meet production commitments, citing quality, reliability and supplier performance as major reasons for the company’s continued presence.
Safran Aircraft Engines President Stéphane Cueille said the company plans to assemble 300 engines annually in Morocco, describing the investment as part of Safran’s effort to reduce industrial risk.
“If it does not work, there will be aircraft that cannot take off,” Cueille said, arguing that Safran’s decision reflected confidence in Morocco’s workforce, industrial policy and ability to support production.
Lockheed Martin International Business Development Vice President Steve Sheehy focused instead on the changing nature of military capability, saying modern airpower increasingly depends on connecting aircraft, ground systems, satellites and secure communications rather than on individual platforms alone.
He cited Morocco’s C-130 aircraft and HIMARS rocket systems as an example, saying information gathered from ground and satellite networks could be passed between platforms before a HIMARS unit is deployed.
“That connectivity did not exist 10 years ago,” Sheehy said.
The remarks reflected a broader shift visible at this year’s air show, where Morocco is promoting not only aircraft manufacturing but also defense production, systems integration and greater participation in advanced global supply chains.
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