France’s largest utility company and electricity producer and distributor, state-owned EDF Group (Electricité de France) has announced an equity investment in hybrid-electric aircraft developer AURA AERO.
This investment, the amount of which has not been disclosed, will be executed through an EDF Group subsidiary called SAFIDI, which is dedicated to financing regional decarbonization projects.
In EDF Group, Toulouse-based AURA AERO has found a rather strong partner since the integrated energy firm is one of the largest global players in the field of energy generation and distribution, with an annual turnover of nearly €140 billion in 2023.
AURA AERO’s ongoing development of a family of fully electric light aircraft, called INTEGRAL, as well as a hybrid-electric 19-seater regional airliner called ERA, is seen as strategic by French authorities, which have supported the project through the France 2030 program. The projects have also been supported through other public support schemes run by the region of Occitanie, where the startup is based.
AURA AERO has also received funds through the EU’s ‘EIC Accelerator’ program.
The startup began flight testing its INTEGRAL “R” and “S” aircraft in 2023 and is planning to fly a prototype of the ERA airliner by 2026. AURA AERO is also planning to build a greenfield new factory at Toulouse-Francazal Airport, in the south of France, in order to produce these aircraft at scale.
