Aura Aero moves ERA hybrid-electric aircraft into production phase with 2027 first flight in sight
April 10, 2026
Aura Aero has secured €340m in funding to advance its ERA hybrid-electric regional aircraft, marking a shift from development into industrialisation as the company prepares for its prototype flight in 2027.
The funding package, which combines equity, public support and industrial financing, is intended to support both the continued development of ERA and the infrastructure required to produce it at scale.
Company executives framed the milestone as a transition point, with ERA now moving beyond concept and early engineering work into a phase focused on production readiness, supply chain build-out and certification.
As Aura’s leadership put it, the programme has always been structured with “a strategy clearly oriented toward serial production”, with funding now aligned to both development and manufacturing.
ERA hybrid-electric aircraft to fly in 2027 as certification progresses
Speaking to media this week, Aura’s President and co-founder, Jérémy Caussade, confirmed that ERA remains on track for a first flight by the end of 2027, with certification targeted between 2029 and 2030.
“ERA is our big project of the moment… and we are entering the peak phase as we approach the two years before first flight,” he said. “We still aim for a first flight at the end of 2027, with certification around 2029–2030, and we have good customer traction and real industrial maturity.”
The timeline reflects a slight delay from earlier ambitions, which the company attributed to the time required to secure funding and to rebalance the programme between prototype development and the certification process.
“There is always a balance between when you fly and how much you include in the first prototype,” Caussade added, noting that the fundraising process “took time”, but that the overall impact on the programme remains manageable.
Executives said key technological elements of the aircraft have now been secured, with the programme entering a critical phase in which long-lead components are being prepared and final supplier selections are nearing completion.
“Technologically, we are there,” Caussade said. “The most structuring elements have been secured, and now the objective is to move towards the first prototype and that first major milestone.”
The first aircraft is expected to serve as a certification-representative prototype, forming the basis for subsequent flight testing and regulatory approval.
Aura Aero converts early ERA demand into firm orders as orderbook grows
Aura said ERA has generated more than 700 purchase intentions, representing a potential backlog valued at around $12bn. Of these, 10 have now been converted into firm orders.
The company is currently focused on converting its earliest partners, many of whom were involved in shaping the aircraft’s design, into confirmed customers.
“We are in a phase of converting intentions into firm orders,” the company said, adding that its initial focus is on “historical customers who helped build and define the aircraft”.
While one customer has already been publicly disclosed, the majority remain unnamed, with further announcements expected as contracts are finalised.
The orderbook reflects strong early interest, although most commitments remain non-binding at this stage.
Aura Aero scales ERA production across France and US with new factories
To support production, Aura is developing parallel industrial footprints in Europe and the United States.
A new facility in Toulouse will serve as the primary development and production hub, with capacity for around 100 ERA aircraft per year alongside 50 units of the company’s Integral training aircraft.
In parallel, a US facility in Florida will focus primarily on ERA production for the North American market, reflecting the region’s expected demand for regional aircraft.
Executives said aligning funding with industrial capacity was a central objective of the latest raise, ensuring that aircraft development and production capability progress in tandem.
Hybrid-electric design positions ERA in emerging regional aircraft market
ERA is designed as a hybrid-electric regional aircraft, combining electric propulsion with onboard power generation to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Aura said the configuration is expected to deliver operating cost reductions of around 50% compared with conventional aircraft in its class, while enabling lower-emission regional connectivity.
The company has consistently backed hybrid-electric propulsion as a near-term solution for commercial aviation, in contrast to some competitors that initially pursued fully electric designs before shifting toward hybrid architectures.
“When we launched the programme, we chose a hybrid configuration from the start,” Caussade said. “Others were focused on full electric and are now moving toward hybrid, whereas we have stayed consistent with our approach.”
He added that the current configuration is now “very close to the aircraft that will actually fly”, reflecting a design that has matured without major architectural changes.
ERA programme enters execution phase as certification and production ramp begin
With funding secured and industrial plans advancing, ERA is now entering a phase where delivery will depend on execution rather than concept.
Key challenges remain, including certification, supply chain scaling and the conversion of early interest into firm orders. The majority of the programme’s orderbook is still based on non-binding commitments, and timelines will depend on maintaining momentum through development and testing.
“We are now starting production of long-cycle items, which means we will be able to demonstrate tangible progress quite quickly,” Caussade said.
However, Aura’s shift toward production readiness, supported by a dual-continent manufacturing strategy and a defined certification roadmap, positions ERA as one of the more mature programmes in the emerging hybrid-electric regional aircraft sector.
As the programme moves toward its 2027 first flight, the focus will increasingly turn to whether Aura can translate early demand and technical progress into a viable commercial aircraft at scale.
Featured image: Aura Aero
