Tunis — Tunisia's aeronautical engineering sector is witnessing a rapid growth from 6 plants in 2001 employing 951 people, to 43 plants in 2009 boasting a 2, 393-strong workforce.

The aeronautic cable sector is particularly buoyant and employs 1, 340 people accounting for 56% of the overall number of workers. Following the settling in the country of large scale groups such as SEA, LATELEC, ZODIAC, EUROCAST, TTEI, COFITEL, and MAT the sector's turnover grew from 18 million dinars in 2003 to 117 million dinars in 2008.

France is Tunisia's first partner in the aeronautical engineering sector with 37 resident companies that have generated so far 2, 169 employments representing some 90% of the total number of employments.

It is expected that with the opening by 2011 of the Airbus plant , operated by Airbus's subsidiary ,Aerolia, in the industrial region of el Mhihla, near Tunis, the sector will attract even more investments.

The Aerolia industrial park which covers an area of some 20 hectares north west of Tunis is already attracting subcontracting companies specialized in the industrial aviation sector. With an investment cost amounting to 57 million dinars, the park is expected by 2014 to generate some 1500 employments.

To do so Tunisia has set up a group of aeronautical industries (GITAS) whose aim is to liaise between off shore aeronautical companies as well as promoting the Tunisian aeronautical industry.

GITAS has already attracted such major enterprises as Figeac Aero, Mecahers, Mecanyvois and Corse that will be producing specific parts of future Airbus planes.

Tunisia has also adopted an aggressive marketing strategy to attract more companies, notably by organizing a number of aerospace meetings such as the "Tunisian Aerospace Meeting" which was held in September 2009.