Daher relocates Airbus parts production from France to Morocco

Saturday 30 May 2026 - 08:36

By: Dakir Madiha

Daher relocates Airbus parts production from France to Morocco

French aerospace manufacturer Daher is preparing to shift a portion of its production and assembly operations from its plant in Tarbes, southwestern France, to Morocco, as part of a restructuring effort designed to restore profitability at its industrial division by 2028. The move falls under an internal program called "Edge," which targets Daher Industrie, one of the group's six business units and the division that recorded losses of several tens of millions of euros in 2025 despite sustained demand from aircraft manufacturers.

Daher, which posted €1.9 billion in revenue in 2025 and employs more than 14,500 people worldwide, operates a major facility in Tarbes employing around 1,800 workers. Approximately half of the site's activity is dedicated to the production of TBM business aircraft through its Daher Aircraft division. The rest is split between composite aerostructure manufacturing and metallic aerospace components produced by Daher Industrie — the unit at the center of the restructuring effort.

The Edge program contains two distinct projects. The first, called "Make to Buy," will transfer the production of roughly 1,000 low-complexity parts to subcontractors in low-cost countries, with Morocco as the primary destination. Preparatory work is already underway, with full implementation set to begin in September 2026 and run through the end of 2027. The second project, known as "Make to Make," involves shifting the assembly of composite and metallic section coverings used on Airbus A300, A320, A330, and A350 aircraft to one of Daher's existing facilities in Tangier. That transfer is already in progress and is also expected to conclude by end of 2027.

The combined reduction in workload at Tarbes is expected to represent several tens of thousands of working hours. Daher estimates the investment will pay for itself within three years, factoring in logistics costs tied to importing components from Morocco alongside labor costs that are estimated to be roughly three times lower than those in France. No layoffs are planned as a result of the transfers. Around 60 employees affected by the assembly shift will be reassigned to other roles within the company, while approximately 40 temporary workers linked to outsourced production will not have their contracts renewed. One additional employee is expected to be placed elsewhere within the group.

Beyond cost reduction, the restructuring is intended to free up industrial capacity at Tarbes for higher-value opportunities. Daher has been actively pursuing contracts in the defense sector for several years and has hosted visits from defense companies including MBDA. The group is also positioning itself to compete for industrial roles in Airbus's next-generation program to replace the A320 family, a major upcoming opportunity in the commercial aviation supply chain.