Morocco starts production of cargo planes – Today Morocco

US aviation giants announce an agreement to install a zone at Casablanca International Airport

Kansas Modification Center, LLC (KMC), Stratos Industries and Integrated Aerospace Alliance, LLC (IAA) announce a strategic partnership to redefine the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft-to-freight (P2F) conversion industry. This groundbreaking partnership aims to unite the unique strengths and capabilities of Morocco’s expanding aerospace industry with the engineering and certification capabilities of KMC, as well as the aerospace engineering, certification and program management skills of the IAA.

Specifically, the project includes the development of a 777-300ER P2F production facility at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, Morocco. “With the construction of three wide-body hangars in Morocco by Stratos, KMC can increase production of the 777-300ER P2F by up to eight additional aircraft per year. The Moroccan project will enable KMC, Stratos and IAA to meet the growing global demand for 777-300ER freighters and that of their customers in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The 777-300ER P2F project in Morocco will be further strengthened by the construction and operation of a painting hangar for widebody aircraft by another strategic partner of Stratos,” said a press release issued on this occasion. The three partners confirm that information about this collaboration and the details of the project will be communicated shortly. “KMC, Stratos and IAA are excited about the prospects this joint venture brings to each of the partners and to the aviation industry in Morocco. We look forward to providing more details to our partners and customers as we open this exciting chapter together,” the same source said.

Big players

KMC has partnered with NIAR/WERX, a leader in the aerospace industry, and Wichita State University to obtain a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the 777-300ER P2F. NIAR/WERX currently employs more than 800 engineers (average 25 years of experience) and a total workforce of approximately 1,500 people. KMC aims to obtain FAA approval in the first quarter of 2025 (the Federal Aviation Administration is a government agency responsible for regulations and controls regarding civil aviation in the United States. It reports to the United States Department of Transportation) .

The company has already received approval from the FAA’s Project Specific Certification Plan (PSCP) in May 2023. KMC is working with the FAA to facilitate the STC approval process. KMC’s 777-300ER P2F conversion program has received FAA approval for its certification plan, compliance inspection plan, waivers and 6 FAA subject documents. This provides KMC with a clear path to certification of its 777-300ER P2F conversion program. Stratos’ main mission is to become the leading aerospace and defense company in Morocco and Africa contributing to the development strategy of the aerospace and defense industry of the Kingdom of Morocco by investing in technologies and services essential for aerospace and defense.

Stratos has become one of the leading providers of aerospace engineering solutions and services in the region, taking a one-stop-shop approach and offering innovative solutions, engineering, manufacturing and MRO services to airlines, lessors and government special mission aircraft. Stratos’ diverse portfolio of aerospace companies and partners includes a wide range of portfolio companies and strategic partners, including manufacturers and service providers in the aerospace and defense sectors, as well as international airlines. Finally, AAI specializes in providing engineering, certification and project management services for the aviation industry.

IAA provides these services for airport management projects, VVIP/VIP aircraft interior finishing and STC aircraft interior design and certifications. The IAA management team has participated in aircraft and airport engineering, certification and development projects ranging from $10 million to $400 million worldwide, including North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Grow
It must be said that Morocco’s aviation sector is booming. According to the Foreign Exchange Office, aviation sector exports amounted to more than 1.89 billion dirhams (billion dirhams) in the month of January 2024, an improvement of 23% compared to the same month last year. This development is explained by the increase in sales of the assembly segment by 35.2%, to 1.23 billion dirhams, and that of EWIS (Electrical Wiring Interconnection System) by 5.3%, to 646 million dirhams (MDH), indicates the Foreign Exchange. Office in its recent bulletin on monthly foreign trade indicators. In addition, the Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency (AMDIE) had recently launched an investigation into Morocco’s aviation supply chain. This project aims to analyze this segment in detail to determine the capacities and installed capacities, identify the missing links, define the main players in each sector, study growth forecasts and activity volumes, calculate the integration rate per ecosystem, the volume of purchases and drawing up business cases for the most important missing links (see box).