AINOnline
AEROSPACE
by Gregory Polek
Boeing and the government of Morocco signed an agreement on Tuesday calling for the Chicago-based manufacturer to help establish what it calls a supplier “ecosystem” in the Tangier region.
Under the memorandum of understanding, Boeing plans to share information with more than 120 suppliers about the Moroccan government’s incentives with an eye toward increasing the kingdom’s aeronautical exports by $1 billion and creating as many as 8,700 jobs.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner and Moroccan minister of industry and trade Moulay Hafid Elalamy signed Tuesday’s agreement in the royal palace of Tangier in the presence of King Mohammed VI.
Under the MOU, Boeing will also advise the Moroccan government on the development of a new workforce training program while Boeing suppliers assess the potential value of locating operations in the country.
“Boeing has had a strong relationship with Morocco for nearly 50 years, and we believe Morocco’s aerospace industry is well-positioned to support Boeing’s business needs related to our global supply chain,” said Boeing in a written statement. “These business needs include expanding global capacity and ensuring high quality and affordability in our supply chain to succeed in today’s very competitive, growing market for commercial airplanes.”
The deal comes as Morocco prepares for legislative elections on October 7, and incumbents will likely point to the agreement with Boeing as a reflection of the country’s relative stability even amid the turmoil of the so-called Arab Spring. As a result of its comparatively healthy business climate and geographic proximity to Europe, Morocco continues to enjoy a close trading partnership with the continent.
In fact, Boeing’s presence in Morocco includes a joint venture with Safran that builds wire bundles and harnesses near Casablanca Airport. Called Matis Aerospace, the JV counts more than 1,000 employees, some 85 percent of whom are women.
A Boeing spokeperson told AIN that although the company values Royal Air Maroc as a long-standing customer, the agreement does not relate to any past or pending aircraft sales.
