Above – Jérémy Caussade, Co-founder and President of AURA AERO, left, and John Calcagno, President and CEO of Piper Aircraft with a signed strategic MOU. SAJ photo by Kim Stevens.
Piper Industrial Manufacturing Company (PIMCO), the dedicated manufacturing division of Piper Aircraft, today announced a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with French sustainable aviation pioneer AURA AERO. This landmark collaboration brings together PIMCO’s extensive aerospace manufacturing capabilities and AURA AERO’s expertise in next generation aircraft development to support the industrialization and scalable production of ERA, AURA AERO’s Hybrid-Electric Regional Aircraft.
As the aviation industry accelerates its transition toward decarbonization, the partnership bridges nearly 90 years of proven aerostructure fabrication and certification expertise with next-generation hybrid-electric propulsion technology. The alliance is designed to optimize the manufacturing supply chain and ensure robust industrial readiness for the 19-seat ERA, AURA AERO’s revolutionary hybrid-electric regional aircraft engineered to drastically reduce emissions, acoustic footprint, and direct operating costs (DOC) without compromising range or operational flexibility.
The collaboration underscores PIMCO’s strategic expansion into the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and sustainable aviation sectors, providing turn-key, high-volume manufacturing solutions to innovative OEMs. For AURA AERO, the agreement strengthens the industrial foundations required to scale ERA production. Backed by an order book of approximately 700 aircraft, ERA entry into service is scheduled for 2030 from AURA AERO’s manufacturing facilities in Daytona Beach, Florida and in Toulouse, France.
“Industrial readiness is as critical as aircraft development. 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 of AURA AERO.
“We are thrilled to partner with a visionary industry leader like AURA AERO to advance their hybrid-electric ERA platform,” said John Calcagno, President and CEO of Piper Aircraft. “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.”
