Piper Industrial Manufacturing Company (PIMCO) and AURA AERO Partner on ERA Aircraft Production

Global – Piper Industrial Manufacturing Company (PIMCO), the manufacturing division of Piper Aircraft, has signed a memorandum of understanding with French aircraft manufacturer AURA AERO to support industrialisation and scalable production of the 19-seat ERA hybrid-electric regional aircraft.

• AURA AERO reports more than 700 purchase intentions for ERA, including 20 firm orders, and plans to manufacture the aircraft at facilities in Toulouse, France, and Daytona Beach, Florida.
• The agreement covers manufacturing supply-chain optimisation and production readiness, drawing on PIMCO’s aluminium aerostructure fabrication and aerospace certification experience.
• ERA is being developed as a 19-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft for passenger and cargo operations. AURA AERO continues to target entry into service in 2030.
• AURA AERO secured a EUR50 million Series B financing round in April 2026, bringing its reported total funding to EUR340 million, including grants and support for its French and US industrial facilities.
• The manufacturer has secured a building permit for its planned Toulouse-Francazal production facility and allocated a 16-hectare site at Daytona Beach International Airport for its US factory.
• PIMCO was established as Piper Aircraft’s contract-manufacturing division and provides fabrication and production services for external aerospace customers. The agreement extends its activities into hybrid-electric aircraft manufacturing.
• AFM previously reported that AURA AERO opened an 11,000-square-foot US headquarters and customer-support facility at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Research Park in Florida in 2025, providing an initial base for its planned ERA manufacturing operations. 

Statements

• “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,” said Jérémy Caussade, Co-Founder and President at AURA AERO.
• “We are thrilled to partner with a visionary industry leader like AURA AERO to advance their hybrid-electric ERA platform. 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,” said John Calcagno, President and CEO of Piper Aircraft.

Source: Piper Aircraft