ERA AlpineAirExpress©AURA AERO
AURA AERO opened a facility in Daytona Beach to build electric and electric-hybrid aircraft for training and regional aviation. The 11,000 sq. ft. facility at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Research Park will serve as its U.S. headquarters and first production site.
The initial production line will build the INTEGRAL family of two-seater, aerobatic-capable training aircraft – offered first with a Lycoming piston engine and subsequently in an all-electric version.
The U.S. is the largest training market in the world, with nearly 600 FAA-approved flight schools, over 75,000 pilots, and growing demand for modern, cost-effective, aerobatic-capable training aircraft, making it a significant market for INTEGRAL. Recently certified by EASA and with FAA certification underway, the INTEGRALÂ family offers an advanced, efficient solution for both traditional and electric flight training, making it a strong contender in the U.S. market.
In 2028, AURA AERO plans to open a 500,000 sq. ft. assembly line for its 19-seater aircraft ERA. It intends to be the world’s first to manufacture a hybrid-electric regional aircraft, operating assembly lines in France and the U.S. The United States is one of the strongest markets for ERA, accounting for more than one-third of worldwide orders. The company expects U.S. volumes to approach half of its global total as additional commitments are finalized. The current LOI book stands at over 650 ERA aircraft, for more than $10.5 billion.
Notes:
- Aura is starting with a two-seater and working towards the 19-seater. The ERA is a beautiful-looking aircraft.
- The ERA model is its approach to helping US regionals solve their fleet challenges. Solving that problem is a significant and attractive target.
- This is what the ERA orderbook looks like.
AirInsight There are only two US customers, and neither is a regional airline. The three firm orders are in yellow.
- A 19-seater makes the case for US regional operations a hard sell. US regionals are operating 76-seaters and would upscale but for the Scope Clause. The economics of 50-seaters are already tough. Only because these aircraft are paid down can they be operated in airline service. This is the most brutal segment of the commercial airline business.
- We have seen Heart Aerospace move from 19 seats to 30, and that program appears to have lost momentum.
- AURA faces an uphill battle to convince a skeptical industry. There have been so many promising programs. The road is littered with disappointments—Eviation and Zunum among them.
- As the US regional airline industry consolidates into essentially two players, the odds don’t look better.
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