French aircraft engine maker to set up joint ventures with Moroccan airline

Head of the French Group "La Societe Nationale D'Etude et De Construction Des Moteurs D'Aviation" said recently in Paris that his group is planning to set up joint ventures with Moroccan flag carrier "Royal Air Maroc."

"The French aeronautic group is currently negotiating with the Moroccan airliner terms of the contract setting up the ventures," said Jean-Paul Bechat, director of the French group, at a news conference held in Paris.

He also surveyed the group's past activities and future projects, saying that the French society earned in 1998 one billion Fr.F. and posted a turnover exceeding 28 billion Fr.F.

The Moroccan carrier, considered one of the country's largest firms, has 27 planes servicing 57 destinations in 36 countries. It employs around 5,000 persons and scored last year over $15 million in net profit.