Morocco’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has denied rumors of a meeting with Canadian company Bombardier to discuss the production of the first ever Moroccan aircraft.
Africa Intelligence reported that discussions had taken place with Minister Riad Mezzour regarding several major aeronautical projects being considered in Morocco. However, the Ministry asserted that no discussions to date have addressed the “production of entirely Moroccan aircraft.”
The Ministry also said that Morocco is continuing to develop its aeronautical sector by strengthening the integration of value chains in collaboration with various countries, including Canada, France and Brazil. There is currently no specific collaboration with Canada to produce a Moroccan aircraft, according to the statement.
In 2020, Bombardier sold its factory in Casablanca to American company Spirit AeroSystems, despite having made assurances that Bombardier would continue its operations in Morocco. The sale was part of Bombardier’s broader strategy to focus on commercial aviation and trains.
The Ministry pointed out that foreign investments in Moroccan aviation are on the rise, citing the example of an American consortium that recently launched an industrial platform in Casablanca to convert Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft into cargo planes.