Aura Aero has appointed three European dealerships for its Integral family of two-seat aerobatic and trainer aircraft, including the Integral E electric model. The new partners, announced on Thursday at the Aero Friedrichshafen show, will also market a corporate configuration of the 19-seat hybrid-electric ERA regional airliner the French start-up is developing.

European Aircraft Sales will cover a territory spanning the Scandinavian countries, as well as Finland, the Netherlands, and the Baltic states. JB Investments has been appointed to handle sales in Poland, while B&C is in Italy and will also cover Malta, Albania, and San Marino.

In late 2024, the Integral R tailwheel achieved EASA certification for Europe, and it is now seeking FAA validation. Deliveries started this month with launch customer Dijon Voltige, a French aerobatics club.

The nosewheel Integral S model for training and leisure flying is in the final stages of EASA type certification. Both this and the R model are powered by a Lycoming piston engine.

The Integral E, which is available in either the S or R tail configurations, is powered by a Safran EngineUs electric engine. It started its flight test program in December. Aura Aero is targeting certification and first deliveries around the end of 2026 or early 2027.

U.S. Production Line

In addition to its main manufacturing site in Toulouse, France, Aura Aero is now building a U.S. assembly line in Daytona Beach, Florida. Last year, it also announced plans to establish a presence in the UAE as part of plans to develop possible uncrewed military derivatives of its aircraft for as-yet-unspecified military missions.

According to Jérémy Caussade, Aura Aero’s co-founder and CEO, the company is targeting service entry for the ERA airliner in 2030, projecting a range of up to around 900 nm. It intends to have a prototype built to start ground testing in 2026 and to begin conducting test flights by 2028.

The company said it now holds provisional sales commitments for around 600 aircraft in deals worth approximately $9 billion. In the longer term, Caussade told reporters that Aura Aero’s propulsion system could be scaled up for an airframe accommodating between 50 and 80 passengers. Early commercial routes could include regional connections between cities such as Toulouse and Marseille in the south of France.