AURA Aero, a Toulouse-based aircraft start-up founded in 2018, is accelerating its plans to develop electric and hybrid aircraft. The company aims to certify, commercialise and produce two models within five years: a small battery-powered aircraft and a 19-seat regional plane with a hybrid system.
One of its current aircraft is the Integral E, a two-seat, single-engine electric plane designed for pilot training. The aircraft is presented as one of the first fully electric aircraft intended to go beyond the prototype stage.
Aura Aero is based at Toulouse-Francazal airport in Cugnaux, in a former air base that has become a hub for aviation-related activity. The site also hosts aircraft maintenance, drone design, aviation training and a campus focused on low-carbon mobility.
The company’s plans include €340 million in financing and proposed factory projects in France and the United States, as it seeks to help establish an aircraft industry centred on electric propulsion.
Sources: Le Monde Économie.