A new mega aeronautical contract in Morocco

Pilatus and Sabca signed, on Monday, August 30, 2021, a contract for the complete assembly in Casablanca of the aerostructures of the PC-12 aircraft, in the presence of Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Minister of Industry, Commerce and the Green and Digital Economy. The first wing fuselage assembled at Sabca's new industrial unit in Casablanca will be ready for delivery to the final assembly line in Stans, Switzerland, in late 2022.

This contract marks the start of a new long-term partnership between Pilatus and Sabca and is an important step that leverages the aerospace ecosystem in Morocco.

The contract provides for the assembly of the fuselage, wings and flight controls, including the electrical installation of the wiring. Sabca will deliver these major aircraft components to the final assembly line in Switzerland, where they will be integrated with other aircraft systems, the engine and the interior of the aircraft cabin.

“We are proud of this new long-term partnership between Pilatus and Sabca Maroc.

This agreement will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening the Moroccan aerospace perspective and to further accelerate the sustained growth experienced by the national aeronautical sector, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, to maintain its position as a high-quality production platform and promote improvement. development of new highly technological activities”, declared the Minister. He noted that “this collaboration is testament to the strong ability of our local supply base to meet the expectations of international equipment manufacturers like Pilatus.” This not only confirms Morocco's credibility as an essential partner in aeronautical production, but also our resistance and competitiveness in this new context of crisis. We congratulate Sabca on this achievement and welcome Pilatus to Morocco. We are convinced that this is just the beginning of a lasting relationship with the Kingdom.”

Thibauld Jongen, CEO of Sabca, said: “We are very proud to have been selected by Pilatus for this important project. This is the result of excellent teamwork and marks the beginning of the collaboration between Pilato and Sabca. Our selection among several international companies by Pilatus attests to our experience and the competitiveness of the region.” He added that “Sabca is proud to offer a wide range of expertise in metallic and composite aerostructures, manufacturing and assembly, performance equipment design for the general aviation sector, as well as our world-class capabilities in the field of MRO.”

The only aircraft to land on an unprepared runway, the PC-12 is versatile enough to perform various missions ranging from executive transport, cargo, air ambulance to aerial or government missions. Since its first flight in 1994, the aircraft has been a bestseller in its class and more than 1,800 units have been delivered to date.

Backed by an exceptional safety record of more than eight million flight hours and industry-leading customer support from Pilatus, the PC-12 NGX model with its latest engine and avionics technology makes it the most powerful single-engine turboprop. advanced of history.

This project, with an investment of more than 180 million dirhams (17 million euros), consists of the construction of a new 16,000 m² factory that will house the PC-12 aerostructures assembly line in the Nouaceur technopole. And to provide qualified resources for the PC 12 program, close collaboration has been established with the Institut des Métiers de l'Aéronautique.

Source: Industrie du Maroc