MOROCCO – US based aviation company, Spirit AeroSystems Holdings is in talks with Bombardier to purchase the company’s facilities in Belfast and Morocco, Reuters reported in October this year.
The news outlet quoted two sources familiar with the case, emphasizing that the company “has emerged as the front-runner” to acquire the two aeronautics facilities in Morocco and Belfast.
The US company has not yet reached an agreement with Bombardier for the facilities.
Bombardier announced its decision to sell its facilities in May this year and BNN Bloomberg reported that the Canadian aerospace giant intends to place its focus on private jets and trains.
The company said that it created a new division known as Bombardier Aviation to bring together “all aerospace assets into a single, streamlined and fully integrated business.”
The Bombardier’s facility in Morocco employs at least 300 people, while 3,600 more work in the Belfast factory.
If the agreement is concluded, Spirit AeroSystems Holdings will join other important aeronautics companies operating in Morocco, such as Boing, Safran, and others.
Morocco’s foreign exchange office announced in 2018 that the Moroccan aviation industry earned more than MAD 9.78 billion ($1 billion) in the first 11 months of 2017, compared to MAD 8.42 billion ($870 million) in 2016, an increase of 16%.
Morocco sees the aeronautics industry as one of its key economic pillars that could curb unemployment. Several recent reports extolled the industry of aeronautics, including Oxford Business Group. The group forecasted a flourishing future in Morocco’s economy, thanks to aeronautics and the automotive sector.
Spirit already has facilities in Tulsa, McAlester, Oklahoma, Kinston, North Carolina, Malaysia, and France.
Spirit is Boeing’s largest supplier but has plans to grow its business with Airbus with the 2018 announced acquisition of supplier Asco Industries for $650 million.
The company’s key products include, “fuselages, pylons, nacelles, and wing components,” Spirit Aero said.
The US company also provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services to aircraft manufacturers and operators.
