Eight-passenger cabin configuration of the ERA hybrid-electric aircraft with forward galley.
FRIEDRICHSCHAFEN, Germany—French startup manufacturer Aura Aero unveiled multiple cabin configurations of the ERA hybrid-electric regional aircraft it is developing for a planned entry into service in 2030.
During a briefing at Aero Friedrichshafen on April 22, executives with Aura Aero described high-density 16-to-19 passenger regional and 8-to-9 passenger “lounge” and “business” configurations for the ERA cabin. The company is close to building the first component of the aircraft, with a first flight expected in 2027.
The ERA will have an “intuitive, reconfigurable glass cockpit” with three large face-forward displays and a lower automated mission management display.
Founded in 2018, Aura Aero thus far has logged three deliveries of the Integral R, a side-by-side two-seat trainer powered by a 210-hp Lycoming AEIO-390-A3B6 piston engine. It expects to deliver 12 more this year.
The company anticipates that its Integral S trainer, powered by a 180-hp Lycoming IO-360-M1A engine, will be certified this summer.
The Integral E, an all-electric aircraft developed to EASA CS-23 Amendment 5 requirements, will follow in 2027.
Aura Aero also plans to make the first flight this year of the Enbata, which it describes as a 100% sovereign-built Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance military drone. Plans call for the Enbata to enter service in 2028.
In early April, the company said it has raised €340 million ($399 million) in funding involving industrial, institutional, and technology investors, including Safran Corporate Ventures, EDF Group, the French government, the European Commission, and aerospace development agency Space Florida. Aura Aero is building an 11,000 ft.2 manufacturing facility at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Research Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Aura Aero announced in March that it has received a building permit for a new manufacturing facility at Toulouse-Francazal Airport to expand its industrial capacity, “reaffirming a clear ambition to design and manufacture a new generation of innovative and sustainable aircraft in France.” It plans to break ground on the new facility later this year and complete construction in 2028, enabling it to scale up production of the Integral, Enbata, and ERA programs.
The company says it has booked 20 firm orders for the ERA and accumulated 700 letters of intent. The first named customer to place a firm order is French regional carrier Pan Européenne Air Service.
“The time for us now is about execution,” Aura Aero CEO Jeremy Caussade said.
Related Content
