Safran to open new Airbus engine assembly line in Morocco

By Ahmed Eljechtimi

RABAT (Reuters) -French aerospace group Safran signed deals with Morocco on Monday to set up a new engine assembly line for Airbus jets and a new maintenance and repair plant near Casablanca, company officials said.

Morocco has encouraged investment by aerospace suppliers in recent years, hoping to match its success in car manufacturing by creating hubs to shorten supply chains and share expertise.

Safran will invest 120 million euros to build the assembly line, which will supply 25% of the company’s Airbus-related output or 350 LEAP-1A engines annually, Chair Ross McInnes said.

"This will be Safran's only assembly line outside France and will be ready in 2028," McInnes said, following the signing ceremony chaired by King Mohammed VI.

Safran co-produces LEAP engines with GE Aerospace through their CFM International venture. The LEAP-1A competes with Pratt & Whitney to power the Airbus A32neo, while the LEAP-1B is the sole engine on the Boeing 737 MAX. A third variant, the LEAP-1C, is used by China's COMAC for its C919.

(Reporting by Ahmed El Jechtimi, additional reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)