10 largest landing gear plants in Africa

Feyisayo Ajayi
Feyisayo Ajayi
Africa largest landing gear plants

Africa’s largest landing gear plants are emerging as critical pillars of the continent’s aerospace manufacturing ambitions.

Long dominated by Europe and North America, landing gear production, the high-precision engineering of aircraft undercarriage systems, is now gaining scale across Morocco, South Africa, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

From Safran’s advanced facilities in Nouaceur to South Africa’s aviation engineering hubs, Africa is embedding itself into global aircraft supply chains, attracting foreign direct investment and building high-value industrial capacity.

At the forefront is the Safran Landing Systems plant in Morocco, part of a broader industrial alliance with Airbus. Its presence underscores Africa’s growing relevance in next-generation aircraft programs.

While Africa is not yet home to standalone mega landing-gear complexes comparable to those in France or the United States, several major aerospace plants across the continent now manufacture, assemble, machine, or maintain landing gear systems at scale, laying the foundation for a more vertically integrated future.

Africa’s landing gear ecosystem remains in its early industrial phase, but momentum is unmistakable. With Morocco leading in manufacturing scale, South Africa leveraging engineering heritage, and countries like Nigeria and Ethiopia expanding technical capacity, the continent is steadily climbing the aerospace value chain.

As global manufacturers seek supply chain diversification, Africa’s blend of proximity to Europe, competitive labor costs, and policy-backed industrial zones could transform these facilities from supporting actors into core players in global aviation manufacturing.

Below, Shore Africa chronicled 10 of the largest and most strategically significant landing gear–related plants shaping Africa’s aerospace landscape.

1. Safran Landing Systems
Location: Nouaceur, Morocco

Located in Midparc’s aerospace cluster, this high-tech facility manufactures and machines landing gear components for Airbus aircraft programs. Spanning roughly seven hectares, it integrates advanced robotics, precision machining, and testing capabilities. The plant anchors Morocco’s aeronautics ecosystem, supports hundreds of skilled jobs, and operates with a strong sustainability focus, including decarbonized energy systems and supplier integration across the region. Safran, operating in Morocco for more than 25 years, announced lastweek an investment of more than €280 million (approximately $305 million) to build a manufacturing facility for aircraft landing gear systems in Morocco. The project, officially launched during a ceremony held at the Royal Palace in Casablanca, presided over by King Mohammed VI in the presence of Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan.

2. Safran Nacelles & Engine Components Hub
Location: Casablanca, Morocco

Part of Safran’s broader Moroccan platform, this facility supports complex aerospace components, including structural systems linked to landing gear assemblies. Its integration within Morocco’s expanding aviation supply chain strengthens the country’s role as Africa’s leading aerospace exporter, serving major global aircraft manufacturers while driving high-value technical employment and specialized engineering skills.

3. Airbus Atlantic Morocco
Location: Nouaceur, Morocco

Operating within the Casablanca aeronautics cluster, Airbus Atlantic produces structural aerostructures and subassemblies that interface with landing gear systems. While not exclusively a landing gear plant, its manufacturing precision and systems integration capabilities position it as a strategic contributor to aircraft structural integrity and undercarriage alignment within Airbus programs.

4. Boeing Africa Engineering & Supply Chain Hub
Location: Casablanca, Morocco

Linked to Boeing, this supply-chain–driven hub supports precision aerospace manufacturing partners in Morocco. Through supplier development programs, it strengthens local capabilities in components that include landing gear structures, fostering compliance with global certification standards and expanding Africa’s footprint in advanced aeronautical engineering.

5. Denel Aeronautics
Location: Kempton Park, South Africa

A division of Denel SOC Ltd, Denel Aeronautics manufactures and maintains aircraft structures and systems for military and civilian platforms. Its engineering depth includes landing gear servicing and component manufacturing, leveraging decades of aviation expertise to support both domestic defense aircraft and international aerospace partners.

6. Paramount Aerospace Systems
Location: Pretoria, South Africa

Part of the Paramount Group, this facility supports aircraft modification, integration, and maintenance, including landing gear system work for specialized and defense aircraft. Paramount’s vertically integrated defense strategy allows it to retain high-value engineering functions locally while building export-oriented aerospace capabilities.

7. Ethiopian Airlines MRO Complex
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Operated by Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest aviation group, this MRO complex services landing gear systems for multiple aircraft fleets. With advanced overhaul workshops and certification capabilities, it is one of the continent’s most sophisticated aviation maintenance hubs, supporting regional carriers and reinforcing Ethiopia’s aviation leadership.

8. South African Airways Technical (SAAT)
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

A subsidiary of South African Airways, SAAT provides maintenance and overhaul services, including landing gear systems for commercial aircraft. Its technical infrastructure and skilled workforce have long positioned South Africa as a continental aviation engineering center, despite industry restructuring challenges.

9. XEJet Aviation Technical Facility
Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Backed by private aviation ambitions, XEJet is developing local technical capacity to reduce dependence on foreign aircraft servicing. While still scaling, the facility represents Nigeria’s strategic push toward aircraft component servicing,  including landing gear maintenance, within West Africa’s largest aviation market.

10. Egyptian Aerospace & Maintenance Company
Location: Cairo, Egypt

Serving both civil and defense aviation markets, this facility provides heavy maintenance services, including landing gear overhaul operations. Egypt’s established aviation sector and military-industrial base offer strong foundations for deeper manufacturing localization, positioning the country as a North African aerospace pillar.

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