Piper Industrial Manufacturing Company (PIMCO), the dedicated manufacturing division of Piper Aircraft, has announced a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with French sustainable aviation company AURA AERO to support the industrialisation and scalable production of ERA, AURA AERO's hybrid-electric regional aircraft.
The collaboration brings together PIMCO's aerospace manufacturing capabilities with AURA AERO's expertise in next-generation aircraft development, as the industry accelerates its transition toward decarbonisation. The partnership combines nearly 90 years of aerostructure fabrication and certification expertise with next-generation hybrid-electric propulsion technology, aimed at optimising the manufacturing supply chain and ensuring industrial readiness for the 19-seat ERA.
ERA is designed to drastically reduce emissions, acoustic footprint and direct operating costs without compromising range or operational flexibility. The aircraft is backed by an order book of approximately 700 units, with entry into service scheduled for 2030 from AURA AERO's manufacturing facilities in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Toulouse, France.
The agreement marks PIMCO's strategic expansion into the Advanced Air Mobility and sustainable aviation sectors, providing turn-key, high-volume manufacturing solutions to innovative OEMs, while strengthening the industrial foundations AURA AERO needs to scale ERA production.
AURA AERO co-founder and President Jérémy Caussade said industrial readiness was as critical as aircraft development itself.
"With PIMCO's long standing experience in aluminum aerostructures, we are strengthening the manufacturing capabilities behind ERA and taking another important step toward delivering commercial aviation's first hybrid-electric passenger aircraft," Caussade said.
Piper Aircraft President and CEO John Calcagno said the partnership positioned the companies to bring sustainable regional transport to market.
"We are thrilled to partner with a visionary industry leader like AURA AERO to advance their hybrid-electric ERA platform," Calcagno said. "By leveraging our legacy of proven aerostructure manufacturing and rigorous certification processes, we are uniquely positioned to help bring the future of eco-designed, sustainable commuter transport to the global market."
AURA AERO's development in the US is supported by the State of Florida, Space Florida and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The company's existing lineup includes the INTEGRAL family of training aircraft alongside the ERA program.