Airbus Launches Major Step in the Modernization of the Marignane-Vitrolles Site

Marignane, France, February 6, 2026 – On the occasion of the visit by Philippe Tabarot, Minister of Transport, and Sébastien Martin, Delegate Minister in charge of Industry, Airbus Helicopters launched the construction of a new factory on its Marignane-Vitrolles site. This new building highlights the importance of the site’s transformation plan aimed at maintaining Airbus Helicopters’ industrial tools at the highest standards of competitiveness.

“We are honored to welcome Messrs. Philippe Tabarot and Sébastien Martin on this symbolic day for the Marignane-Vitrolles site,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.
“Marignane-Vitrolles plays a central role in Airbus Helicopters’ industrial strategy. More than 12,500 employees work daily on this site, making it the third-largest industrial site in France and the leading private employer in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. With these investments, we will ensure the long-term competitiveness of our industrial facilities and continue to innovate to provide solutions that meet our customers’ needs. I am particularly pleased that all our institutional and private partners are represented today, demonstrating the collective effort undertaken for one of the flagship sites of French industry.”

A Strategic Site for Airbus Helicopters

As the headquarters of Airbus Helicopters, the Marignane-Vitrolles site hosts design, development, manufacturing, assembly, and flight testing activities for helicopters. It also houses a training center for customers as well as facilities dedicated to maintenance and spare parts management for Airbus helicopters in service worldwide.

To maintain Airbus’ position as a global leader in civil and military helicopters, an ambitious plan has been implemented to modernize the site.

Launch of the “NextGen Factory”

Airbus Helicopters has now begun construction of the “NextGen Factory”. This 31,000 m² building, showcasing Industry 4.0 standards and the highest environmental standards, will consolidate machining and special processes for rotors and transmissions, which are critical components of helicopters.

While the full ambition of the project still requires additional support, this first milestone represents a major technological leap for one of the site’s key activities. Innovations in industrial processes, along with potential spillover effects for suppliers and other industries using high-power mechanical components, led the French government to allocate €25 million to this project under the FRANCE 2030 program.

Territorial Pact “Sud Avenir Hélico”

The visit of Philippe Tabarot and Sébastien Martin was also marked by the official launch of the Territorial Pact “Sud Avenir Hélico”. Approved at the end of 2024, this pact engages institutional partners in a synergy dynamic to strengthen the sector’s competitiveness and agility in the face of aggressive international competition.

This overall project cements a unique alliance between Airbus, the French government, the Sud Region, the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, and the municipalities of Marignane and Vitrolles, ensuring the sustainability of a sector representing nearly 20,000 regional jobs.

Creation of the Helicopter Academy

In parallel, to support this industrial initiative, the creation of the “Helicopter Academy” was announced. Awarded under the FRANCE 2030 program with support of €9.5 million, the academy will pool resources for the benefit of the entire sector.

It will be managed by a consortium of partners sharing their expertise. This state-of-the-art training center will educate the talents of tomorrow (engineers and technicians) in high-precision machining and agile production, thus ensuring excellence and the transmission of the site’s unique know-how. It will also benefit other industries such as shipbuilding and nuclear engineering.

(English translation from a French Press Release)

Source: Airbus