Market Intelligence: Africa

Elixir Aircraft, a fast-growing training aircraft manufacturer headquartered in La Rochelle, France, has recruited Marc Douton as Director of Customer Support. With his extensive experience of customer relations in the aviation industry, an international career and a solid technical background, he will reinforce the executive team as Elixir production ramps up. He took up his new post, based at La Rochelle headquarters, on 1st July 2024.

From KLM to Dassault Aviation

Marc Douton has very good knowledge of customer support, in all types of aviation structures: MRO, and operators of commercial and business aircraft.

After starting his career in bench-mark maintenance workshops such as those of Air France, KLM, AOM, Air Tahiti Nui and SOGERMA, Marc Douton joined the customer support teams of leading aircraft manufacturers. For Airbus initially, he was a representative for the Emirates, based in Dubai, then for Malaysia Airlines in Kuala Lumpur; in both cases to support the A380 entry into service.

Marc Douton then worked in the Dassault Aviation group for ten years, as Falcon customer service representative in Eastern Europe, Asia and Polynesia. In 2022, he joined the consulting firm McLarens Aviation. He holds several type ratings in the Airbus A340, A380, Boeing 767, 737 and Dassault Falcon 7X/8X families.

As a result, Elixir Aircraft’s customers will now be able to enjoy services and procedures from airline aviation.

Structuring Customer Support

With orders for 200 aircraft – including orders, pre-orders and letters of intent – and 25 aircraft in operation in Europe, Elixir Aircraft is currently organizing its customer support department.

Marc Douton supervises a team of five: two customer support managers, a workshop manager and two mechanics. This team provides customer support, training and stock management of spare parts. The team is set to expand as production develops.

To this end, Elixir Aircraft is continuing its recruitment campaign for its three La Rochelle sites, before starting to recruit the teams expected at the Sarasota site in the USA in early 2025.

“In addition to his industrial experience in commercial and business aviation, Marc’s keen interest in light aviation was a deciding factor in his recruitment. He holds a Part-66 aviation maintenance licence, is a pilot and owner of a microlight, and has a passion for mechanics. We welcome him!” said Arthur Léopold-Léger, CEO and co-founder of Elixir Aircraft.

“I’m proud to join Elixir Aircraft, a manufacturer that is about to revolutionise the training market. I’d like to thank the co-founders for their confidence in me, and assure them of my determination to achieve maximum customer satisfaction,” said Marc Douton, Elixir Aircraft’s Customer Support Manager.

About Elixir Aircraft
Elixir Aircraft is a French aircraft manufacturer founded in 2015 to meet the challenges of global light aviation. Based in La Rochelle, it has over 150 employees and is recruiting massively. Elixir Aircraft designed and has been building a 4th-generation two-seater aircraft, certified EASA CS-23 since 2020. Elixir Aircraft uses technology from the world of competitive sailing, the “Carbon Oneshot” (in one piece), to simplify structures. More simplicity means fewer failures, so greater safety, but also less maintenance, and lower costs (estimates of savings of $50/h fuel and maintenance). At the end of 2021, Elixir Aircraft opened a new production site in Périgny, Charente Maritime, to bring production of all carbon parts in-house. 

There are 25 Elixir aircraft currently in operation, with over 200 of the 4th-generation Elixir aircraft on the order book (firm or pre-orders). In June 2023, the French President announced a 13-million euro subsidy for Elixir Aircraft. In early 2024, Elixir Aircraft announced the closing of its development financing for the next 5 years, with a budget of 40 million euros. In April 2024, Elixir Aircraft announced the opening of its US factory in Sarasota, Florida.

Source: Elixir Aircraft
Photo Credit: Elixir Aircraft