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Pilatus and Sabca signed a contract for the complete assembly in Casablanca of the aerostructures of the PC-12 aircraft, in the presence of Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Minister of Industry, Trade and Economy Green and Digital. The first wing fuselage assembled at Sabca’s new industrial unit in Casablanca will be ready for delivery to the final assembly line in Stans, Switzerland, by the end of 2022.
This contract marks the start of a new long-term partnership between Pilatus and Sabca and is an important step that takes advantage of the aerospace ecosystem in Morocco.
The contract provides for the assembly of the fuselage, wings and flight controls including the electrical installation of the wiring. Sabca will deliver these major aircraft components to the final assembly line in Switzerland where they will be integrated with other aircraft systems, engine and interior of the aircraft cabin.
“We are proud of this new long term partnership between Pilatus and Sabca Maroc. This agreement will certainly help to strengthen the Moroccan aerospace perspective and to further accelerate the sustained growth experienced by the national aeronautics sector, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, to maintain its position as a platform for the best quality production and to promote the improvement of skills through the development of new highly technological activities,” said the Minister. He pointed out that “this collaboration is testament to the great capacity of our local supply base to meet the expectations of international equipment manufacturers such as Pilatus. This not only confirms Morocco’s credibility as an essential aeronautical production partner, but also our resilience and our competitiveness in this new context of crisis. We congratulate Sabca on this achievement and welcome Pilatus to Morocco. We are convinced that this is only the beginning of a long-standing relationship with the Kingdom”.
Sabca CEO Thibauld Jongen said: “We are very proud to have been selected by Pilatus for this important project. This is the result of excellent teamwork and it marks the beginning of the collaboration between Pilate and Sabca. Our selection among several international companies by Pilatus attests to our expertise and the competitiveness of the region”. He added that “Sabca is proud to offer a wide range of expertise in metallic and composite aerostructures, manufacturing and assembly, design of actuation equipment for the general aviation sector as well as our world-class capabilities in the field of MRO”.
The PC-12, the only aircraft that lands on an unprepared runway, is versatile enough to perform various missions ranging from executive transport, freight, air ambulance to air or government missions. Since its first flight in 1994, the aircraft has been a bestseller in its class and to date more than 1,800 units have been delivered.
Backed by an exceptional safety record of over eight million flight hours and industry-leading customer support from Pilatus, the PC-12 NGX with its latest engine and avionics technology make it the most advanced single-engine turboprop engine ever.
This project, with an investment of more than 180 million dirhams (17 million euros) consists of the construction of a new 16,000 m² factory which will house the PC-12 aerostructures assembly line at the technopole of Nouaceur. And for the provision of qualified resources for the PC 12 program, close collaboration has been established with the Institut des Métiers de l’Aéronautique.
