French aircraft manufacturer Aura Aero is stepping up plans to start assembling planes for the North American market after receiving millions of dollars in additional support from the state of Florida.
Aura Aero unveiled its plans to build its first North American factory in Daytona Beach in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Research Park at the 2024 Paris Air Show.
The company’s first 10,000-square-foot hangar will be home to US assembly, delivery, and customer support for Aura Aero’s INTEGRAL two-seater trainer with aerobatic capabilities, which is already certified in Europe and under the FAA fast track process for US certification, company officials said.
The hangar will also be home to two prototypes of INTEGRAL E, the all-electric version, that will soon fly in the skies of Daytona Beach to conduct a flight test campaign, with plans for first deliveries in 2027, according to company officials.
The company received $3.4 million in funding from Space Florida to outfit the hangar.
Eventually, the company will build a 500,000-square-foot factory in Daytona Beach that will build its 19-seater hybrid-electric aircraft, ERA. The company reports it already has 650 orders for the ERA.
This project, expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, recently got the green light from Space Florida, which has agreed to finance up to an extra $200 million.
For more information: SpaceFlorida.gov, Aura-Aero.com
The money they’ve gotten from Space Florida ($3.4mm) divided by 500,000 sf for the facility comes out to $6.80 per square foot, you can’t even paint the floor for that.
The REAL money for this is coming from the French government, if this fails, it is their problem, not ours, because they can’t take the building back to Euroland.
I’m involved with this, with Space Florida, with Volusia County Economic Development, I’ve met the U.S. based manager several times, he has 40 years of aviation manufacturing experience, I’ve reviewed the POH on their two-seater, this is a serious, professional organization and is VERY WELL funded by overseas money. The funds Space Florida is putting in is basically an enticement for them to locate here and hire (a projected) 1,000 or so local employees. They were looking at other locations outside of Florida, we made them the best offer, and we have the room, the airport, the employees, the technical talent and everything else they need. There are many, many aerospace companies already in this area, with more on the way, and we are only 30 nm north of Kennedy Space Center.
There is a lot of competition for aerospace businesses like this, they bring lots of money and talent to the area, and greatly improve the health of the local economy. Those 1,000 people are going to need to live somewhere, they’ll have families, they’ll buy things and need services, so the money from Space Florida just goes to “prime the pump”.
You gotta spend it to make it . . .
Doomed to failure as they are dependent on government support. Living and working debt-free and government-free is the only way to live and work, truly free. “Liberty implies the absence of government.” Ludwig von Mises