Aura Aero has defined the landing site for an ambitious factory project in the United States. The Toulouse start-up, at the head of one of the most promising low-carbon aircraft projects, announced on Thursday October 17 that it would establish its future American industrial site at the Daytona Beach international airport, in Florida.
A 150,000 m² facility whose construction is expected to begin in 2026, with a view to opening in the last quarter of 2028. The factory will be dedicated to the assembly of the 19-seat ERA regional aircraft. This investment of 120 million euros could generate more than a thousand jobs locally. And allow the company with 250 employees today to deploy its hybrid electric regional aircraft in North America.
A factory complementary to that of Toulouse
There is no question for Aura Aero of putting its first project for a Toulouse factory on the back burner, revealed in 2023 and planning mass production from 2026. With its investment in France amounting to around 150 million euros, the company plans on a workforce of 1,500 people by 2030 with the same production capacity as the future American site (100 devices per year). A next important milestone in this project should be announced soon.
But by settling in Florida, the start-up – founded in 2018 by former employees of Airbus and Assystem – is seeking to accelerate its growth by penetrating a very buoyant market. The replacement market for aircraft with 15 to 30 seats, capable of traveling 1000 km, is estimated at 5000 aircraft worldwide in the next 15 years, said an Aura Aero spokesperson. And North America alone represents two-thirds of this market.
The rush for air
With operating costs lower than thermal devices, full autonomy over a distance of at least 200 km and a range of 600 km, the ERA could make its mark in the United States. Of the 570 orders and pre-orders received by the young company, representing an amount of 8.5 billion euros, almost half came from American customers. This is particularly the case for JSX (50 firm orders and 100 purchase options), Alpine Express (75 purchase intentions) and Republic Airways, which did not specify the number of aircraft ordered.
Just as Aura Aero benefits from an unparalleled aerospace ecosystem in Toulouse, the company is nestling in the United States in an environment conducive to the realization of its ambitions. Historic land of the American space adventure, Florida can be proud of today welcoming the world’s elite in aeronautics, defense and space. The Toulouse start-up will also benefit from aid for its installation and support from investors (such as the insurance brokerage company Brown & Brown), but is not providing further details at this stage.
This future factory should contribute to the industrial growth of Aura Aero. “Our ambition is to become a true industrial mid-sized company with a turnover of between 1 and 2 billion euros.», Confided in March 2023 to L’Usine Nouvelle, the CEO of Aura Aero, Jérémy Caussade. In addition to these investments, the start-up has managed to bring in its wake significant industrial partners, such as Airbus (to help with certification), Safran (in terms of engines), Thales (concerning avionics) and even EDF (just entered the capital). While several projects for small carbon-free aircraft are failing, Aura Aero still seems to benefit from strong winds.
Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
