In Morocco, the growth of the aeronautical industry is accompanied by initiatives that showcase local ingenuity. In Rabat, an engineer spent two decades recreating a Boeing 737 Next Generation cockpit. The result has become a training tool for professional pilots and a symbol of technological ambition focused on future generations.
Morocco is now emerging as a major hub for Africa’s aeronautical industry. In Rabat, Abdelkrim Hachadi embodies this drive for innovation on his own scale. An engineer and aviation enthusiast, he has transformed his living room into a genuine technology laboratory. Since 2006, through patience, perseverance, and expertise, he has worked to create an ultra-realistic replica of a Boeing 737NG cockpit. A personal journey that reflects Morocco’s rapidly growing technical expertise.
“I devoted all my free time, my holidays, and my nights to it. I spent many sleepless nights working on it because, at the time, I had a job. Later, I moved it in sections, because you can’t simply assemble the whole thing at once. When I brought it from France to Morocco, it remained in crates for a long time. I didn’t have a suitable place for it, so I built this room so I could finish it. During COVID, when everything was shut down, I built the cabin.”
ABDELKRIM HACHADI, Cockpit Designer – Morocco
Behind this cockpit lie twenty years of hard work and perseverance. Piece by piece, Hachadi assembled his simulator, remarkably reproducing every detail of the cockpit: backlit controls, flight instruments, checklists, and flight systems. The lockdown period gave the project fresh momentum. Today, the simulator has found its place in a specially designed space in Rabat.
“Today, real pilots from airlines come to use this simulator and train on it. For example, when they have their regular proficiency tests, they come here to practice and carry out emergency and system-failure exercises, and so on.”
ABDELKRIM HACHADI, Cockpit Designer – Morocco
This passion has now grown beyond the personal sphere. The simulator regularly welcomes professional pilots who use it to prepare for their assessments and practice various flight scenarios. This recognition comes as Morocco’s aerospace industry continues to expand, with 155 companies, 27,000 jobs, 42% local integration, and USD 3 billion in exports. Hachadi now hopes to pass on this expertise to future generations.
