Airbus unveiled, Thursday, December 8, in Casablanca, its new A220 aircraft with 25% less CO2 emissions than previous generation aircraft and NOx emissions 50% lower than the standards, reads a press release from Airbus, which operates in the field of aeronautics, defense and space.
Airbus is also a long-time transport aircraft supplier to the Royal Air FRA Forceswhich operate a fleet of seven first-generation CN 235 aircraft.
Several hundred parts of this new generation aircraft were produced in Morocco, underlines the press release. “With 20% more stowage space per passenger, the widest seats and the largest windows in its class, the A220 offers unparalleled comfort to travelers”.
And to add: “The A220 responds to one of the main concerns of airlines, namely to have a single-aisle aircraft that is as efficient on regional as continental services”.
More than 100 Airbus suppliers are located in Morocco
Airbus, which generates 10,000 jobs and more than a billion euros in annual activity has more than 100 suppliers in Morocco. “We are lucky to be able to count on very reliable Moroccan partners, like those present with us today”, said the president of Airbus Africa and Middle East, Mikail Houari, on the occasion of the revelation of the A220 aircraft.
This partnership is likely to be strengthened in the future given theincreasing air capacity needs of the African continentnotes the press release.
According to the Airbus Global Market Forecast 2022 (GMF 2022), African airlines will need to acquire 1,230 aircraft by 2040. On the other hand, aeronautical maintenance needs in Africa (Morocco is one of the three most advanced African countries in this area) will be geared down requiring the recruitment of more than 16,000 technicians in the next 20 years, concludes the same source.