Safran invests €350 million in Moroccan industrial LEAP engine footprint scale-up, extensions

Spanning 25,000 square meters, the shop will be able to handle 150 engines a year. Operations are expected to begin in 2027, and some 600 new jobs will be created by 2030. The new facility represents an investment of around €120 million.

LEAP engine. Source | CFM International

Safran has also chosen Morocco as the location for a new assembly line for LEAP-1A engines dedicated to Airbus aircraft. The facility will complement production at Safran’s Villaroche site in France to support the significant ramp-up in production planned by CFM International — around 2,500 LEAP engines a year from 2028. Located on a 13,000-square-meter site, the plant will be operational by the end of 2027 and will have the capacity to assemble up to 350 engines per year. The company is investing €200 million into the new facility.

This industrial complex dedicated to new-gen aircraft engines will benefit from a single test bench for both new and overhauled LEAP engines. In addition, as part of its strategy to reduce carbon emissions from its operations by 50% by 2030, compared with 2018 levels, Safran also signed a memorandum of understanding guaranteeing access to renewable energy for most of its facilities in Morocco, taking effect in 2026.

Safran is further bolstering its presence in Morocco through the expansion of three existing sites: Safran Aerosystems – Tiflet, Safran Electronics & Defense – Casablanca and Safran Electrical & Power – Ain Atiq. These newly expanded facilities will begin operations between 2026 and 2027. 

Overall, Safran is investing more than €350 million in Morocco in the two new LEAP engine facilities and the extensions. Furthermore, to support this scaling up of operations, Safran will be recruiting more than 2,000 people over the next 5 years. 

Safran has been present in Morocco for 26 years and employs more than 4,800 people at 10 sites. The group leads Morocco’s aerospace sector and maintains close partnerships with local companies and the country’s government institutions and training centers.