Photo: Aura Aero
Volusia County is getting ready to welcome a brand-new manufacturing and assembly facility for hybrid-electric aircraft, which is estimated to bring more than 1,000 jobs to the local aviation industry. The Volusia County location will be the first one in America for the French company Aura Aero and the second overall, following the main facility within the Toulouse Francazal airport.
Aura Aero has officially confirmed the location of its first US-based manufacturing and assembly plant after narrowing down its options to Florida and Texas. It ended up being Florida, more specifically, the Daytona Beach International Airport in Volusia County. This is where the French company will build a 500,000-square-foot (46,450 square meters) facility in 2026.
Aura Aero has big plans for the new factory, with an estimated output of 100 aircraft per year. These are not your typical two-seat eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing); the ERA (Electric Regional Aircraft) is a pioneering 19-seater with hybrid-electric propulsion. As its name implies, it's designed as a sustainable alternative to regional aircraft.
This French startup is pioneering in more ways than one. Founded in 2018 in Toulouse-Francazal, Aura Aero doesn't limit the concept of clean aviation to electric propulsion; that's just one part of the equation, along with other factors like using sustainable materials for the aircraft cabin and implementing several eco-friendly and sustainable practices at its manufacturing facilities. Aura Aero describes itself as a "digital and eco-efficient" aeronautical manufacturer and one of the first of this kind.
The 19-seat ERA promises a 215-nautical mile (247 miles/400 km) range and a top speed of 300 knots (345 mph/555 kph). The aircraft's operational flexibility is intended to support a wide range of activities, from passenger transport to medical evacuations. The ERA is meant to reduce in-flight emissions by 80% (for a 200 nautical miles mission) compared to current 19-seat regional aircraft.
One of its most innovative features is the 100% bio-based cabin using both recycled and recyclable materials. Also, the manufacturing process incorporated the principles of circular economy: for instance, by repurposing the company's material offcuts, end-of-life aircraft, and waste.
The French aeronautical company hasn't yet shared whether the upcoming US facility will also incorporate sustainable features like the main facility in France. The Toulouse factory supports an eco-friendly approach by working mostly with local suppliers, limiting the carbon impact of the facility itself, and respecting the surrounding landscape and biodiversity.
The future Daytona Beach Airport facility is set to start manufacturing French ERA aircraft before the end of the decade. The first units should come to life by 2028. Prior to that, the ERA should complete its first flight in 2026.
The official confirmation of Aura Aero's first manufacturing location in the US comes after the biggest public charter jet service in the country announced the biggest hybrid-electric aircraft order at the end of last years. Aura Aero was one of the selected manufacturers, with JSX committing to purchasing 150 units of the ERA 19-seat regional aircraft. Overall, the French company says it has accumulated international orders for more than 500 ERAs since 2021.
Aura Aero has big plans for the new factory, with an estimated output of 100 aircraft per year. These are not your typical two-seat eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing); the ERA (Electric Regional Aircraft) is a pioneering 19-seater with hybrid-electric propulsion. As its name implies, it's designed as a sustainable alternative to regional aircraft.
This French startup is pioneering in more ways than one. Founded in 2018 in Toulouse-Francazal, Aura Aero doesn't limit the concept of clean aviation to electric propulsion; that's just one part of the equation, along with other factors like using sustainable materials for the aircraft cabin and implementing several eco-friendly and sustainable practices at its manufacturing facilities. Aura Aero describes itself as a "digital and eco-efficient" aeronautical manufacturer and one of the first of this kind.
The 19-seat ERA promises a 215-nautical mile (247 miles/400 km) range and a top speed of 300 knots (345 mph/555 kph). The aircraft's operational flexibility is intended to support a wide range of activities, from passenger transport to medical evacuations. The ERA is meant to reduce in-flight emissions by 80% (for a 200 nautical miles mission) compared to current 19-seat regional aircraft.
One of its most innovative features is the 100% bio-based cabin using both recycled and recyclable materials. Also, the manufacturing process incorporated the principles of circular economy: for instance, by repurposing the company's material offcuts, end-of-life aircraft, and waste.
The French aeronautical company hasn't yet shared whether the upcoming US facility will also incorporate sustainable features like the main facility in France. The Toulouse factory supports an eco-friendly approach by working mostly with local suppliers, limiting the carbon impact of the facility itself, and respecting the surrounding landscape and biodiversity.
The future Daytona Beach Airport facility is set to start manufacturing French ERA aircraft before the end of the decade. The first units should come to life by 2028. Prior to that, the ERA should complete its first flight in 2026.
The official confirmation of Aura Aero's first manufacturing location in the US comes after the biggest public charter jet service in the country announced the biggest hybrid-electric aircraft order at the end of last years. Aura Aero was one of the selected manufacturers, with JSX committing to purchasing 150 units of the ERA 19-seat regional aircraft. Overall, the French company says it has accumulated international orders for more than 500 ERAs since 2021.
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