- October 22, 2024
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A rendering of Aura Aero's next-generation aircraft, the ERA. Image courtesy of Aura Aero
Aura Aero announced its decision to build in Daytona Beach at the city’s Brown & Brown headquarters on Oct. 17. Courtesy photo
A rendering of Aura Aero's future 500,000-square-foot Daytona Beach manufacturing and assembly plant. Image courtesy of Aura Aero
A rendering of Aura Aero's next-generation aircraft, the ERA. Image courtesy of Aura Aero
Renderings of Aura Aero's next-generation aircrafts. Image courtesy of Aura Aero
A French aircraft design and manufacturing company will make the home of its next manufacturing plant at Daytona Beach International Airport.
Aura Aero, Inc. is based at the Toulouse-Francazal airport in France and designs next-generation electric aircrafts. The company announced on Oct. 17 that the Daytona Beach International Airport will be the home of its 500,000-square-foot facility, which will likely create over 1,000 high-value jobs in the area.
Cyrus Callum, director of Aviation and Economic Resources at the Daytona Beach International Airport, said with Aura Aero’s involvement in Daytona Beach, more aeronautical industry manufacturers are likely to come to the Daytona Beach area as well over the next decade.
“We’re going to have new sets of eyes on our community,” Callum said.
Aura Aero is opening the plant to be closer to its United States-based customers.
The manufacturing and assembly plant will be a “state of the art” factory to produce, assemble, test and deliver Aura Aero’s ERA, a 19-seat hybrid electric commuter aircraft, according to an Aura Aero press release. The facility will aim to produce 100 ERAs per year and construction is expected to begin in 2026.
By the fourth quarter of 2028, the company will begin assembling aircraft at the new plant, the press release said.
The company narrowed down its decision to build a facility in Florida over a number of other locations in the United States in July. Aura Aero announced its decision to build in Daytona Beach at the city’s Brown & Brown headquarters, the press release said.
Aura Aero co-founder and CEO Jeremy Caussade said Aura Aero mainly chose Daytona Beach and Volusia County was for the collaborative relationship across the city between organizations like the Volusia County CEO Business Alliance and Daytona State College.
"We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with the State of Florida, Volusia County, the Daytona Beach International Airport, and other key partners as we advance our mission to design and manufacture headway electric aircraft that accelerate air transport and decarbonization,” Caussade said in a statement.
The ERA aircraft will be a regional aircraft, with its first flight anticipated in 2026, with an anticipated in-service date in 2028, according to information on Aura Aero’s website. The ERA offers point-to-point mobility, cargo possibilities and uses lithium batteries.
The ERA will also focus on reducing ticket prices and noise.
The ERA manufacturing and assembly factory will be the company’s second U.S. facility. In July, Aura Aero also announced the opening of its first U.S.-based facility — a 10,000-square-foot hangar for electric aircraft development activities — within Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s research park.
Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler said in a statement that it is through the support of philanthropists and industry partners that the university has been able to "make transformational expansions and create a career pipeline for students in aviation, aerospace and other STEM-related fields.
"As an invaluable corporate partner," he said, "Aura Aero — an anchor tenant at our Research Park — will continue to be a vital partner with our university and research community to bring its vision to the world.”
