Pilatus and Sabca have signed a contract for the creation of an aerostructure assembly line for the PC-12 aircraft, the best in its class and the world’s best seller. The contract amounts to 180 million dirhams and the first equipment should be delivered by the end of 2022.
“We are proud of this new long-term partnership between Pilatus and Sabca Maroc”, declared the Minister of Industry, Trade, Green and Digital Economy, Moulay Hafid Elalamy.
“This agreement will certainly help to strengthen the Moroccan aerospace perspective and further accelerate the sustained growth experienced by the national aeronautics sector, under the Leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God help him, to maintain its position as a production platform of the best quality and to promote the improvement of skills through the development of new highly technological activities, ”the Minister welcomed.
This new contract for 180 million dirhams (17 million euros) will create a new production and complete assembly line for the aerostructures of the PC-12 aircraft, the only aircraft that lands on an unprepared runway, is versatile enough to perform different missions ranging from executive transport, cargo, air ambulance to air or government missions.
All parts of the aircraft will be manufactured in Casablanca before being sent to Switzerland to Stans for final assembly. The contract provides for the assembly of the fuselage, wings and flight controls and the electrical installation of the wiring, said a press release from the Ministry of Industry, and the first wing fuselage assembled in Sabca’s new industrial unit in Casablanca should be delivered to Switzerland by the end of 2022.
“This collaboration testifies to the great capacity of our local supply base to meet the expectations of international equipment manufacturers such as Pilatus”, declared the Minister, congratulating Sabca for this achievement and Pilatus for choosing Morocco as production partner. aeronautics.
The Minister affirmed that Morocco is an “unavoidable” partner in aeronautical production and that this contract confirms “our resilience and our competitiveness in this new context of crisis”.
For his part, the CEO of Sabca, Thibauld Jongen, said he was very proud to have been selected by Pilatus. We are very proud for this important project. “This is the result of an excellent teamwork and it marks the beginning of the collaboration between Pilatus and Sabca”, he declared, reaffirming that it is a proof of the expertise. of Sabca and its competitiveness of the region.
The PC-12 manufacturing and assembly line project will be carried out at the Nouaceur technopole where a new plant will be built on 16,000 m². For the implementation of this new project, the two partners will rely on the expertise and collaboration of the Institut des Métiers de l’Aéronautique and for the training and development of qualified resources for the PC 12 program.
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