Baykar Acquires Piaggio Aerospace Business Complexes

Piaggio Aerospace completed the sale of its Villanova d’Albenga and Genoa, Italy sites to Baykar, a Turkish aerospace firm.

The acquisition, finalized on June 30, includes the retention of current employment levels at both sites, with plans to expand the workforce and subsequent production activities.

“Our goal is to revitalize Piaggio Aerospace with a bold industrial vision that builds on its legacy while unlocking its full potential for the future,” Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar said. “We deeply respect the talented and hardworking people who have kept this company going through challenging times, and we are committed to working with them to create new opportunities, drive innovation and ensure a prosperous future.”

Piaggio’s Villanova d’Albenga factory opened in 2014, where it produced its Avanti EVO in 2016. The Genoa facility hosts Piaggio’s Aerospace Service Center, providing aircraft maintenance, upgrade and repair services.

Italian Prime Minister Adolfo Urso described the deal as a significant milestone for Italy’s aerospace brands, which could create market prospects in the unmanned aircraft sector.

“This operation has already been further reinforced through the broader strategic partnership between Baykar and Leonardo, which will allow our country to play a leading role in the European market,” Urso said. “A great future for a company that has had a glorious past, an icon of Made in Italy.”

Assembly of Baykar’s uncrewed air system (UAS), Akinci, will be carried out in Italy by Piaggio as part of a joint venture with Leonardo. During the 2025 Paris Air Show, Baykar and Leonardo formalized their partnership through the creation of LBA Systems, slated to produce Baykar’s Akinci UAS with Leonardo systems onboard.

According to Baykar, the company plans to fold Piaggio Aerospace into its framework of industrial cooperation between Italy and Turkey.

“Piaggio Aerospace represents more than a century of engineering excellence,” said Selçuk Bayrakta, Baykar chairman and CTO. “We see this acquisition not as just a business decision, but as an opportunity to build on that legacy and bring new life to Italian aviation design and manufacturing. We are deeply committed to preserving the unique identity of Piaggio Aerospace while infusing it with a spirit of innovation, safety and performance to meet the demands of today’s global civil aviation market.”