AURA AERO obtains building permit for AURA Factory at Toulouse-Francazal airport: a strategic industrial project serving France’s sovereignty and reindustrialisation

AURA AERO has reached today a decisive milestone in its industrial development, with the granting of the building permit for AURA Factory, its future facility located at Toulouse-Francazal Airport.

With 50,000 square meters of industrial infrastructure, this new production facility represents one of the most ambitious aerospace industrial hubs in France. Designed to meet the most demanding environmental and regulatory standards, AURA Factory - winner of the France 2030 “Première Usine” program - embodies a new generation of aerospace factories, focused on innovation, industrial performance, and environmental responsibility.

A major industrial project for French and European economies

The creation of AURA Factory marks a major milestone in AURA AERO’s growth and in the development of an innovative and self-reliant French aerospace sector. In an international context shaped by the challenges of reindustrialization and strategic autonomy, AURA Factory is fully aligned with the national drive for industrial revitalization.

Obtaining the building permit also represents a key milestone for the project supported by the European Commission’s Innovation Fund (€95 million), a crucial strategic backing to support AURA AERO’s industrial growth and enable the transition to mass production of a low-carbon aircraft.

Ultimately, the facility will generate $2 billion in revenue and create more than 1,600 direct jobs, making a significant contribution to the region’s economic vitality and the development of cutting-edge industrial expertise in the Occitanie region. This facility will strengthen the local aerospace ecosystem, while generating thousands of indirect jobs within the supply chain.

“Obtaining this building permit is a decisive milestone for AURA AERO. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all public and local officials - in particular Carole Delga, Jean-Luc Moudenc, and Albert Sanchez (respectively President of the Occitanie Regional Council, President of Toulouse-Métropole and Mayor of Toulouse, Mayor of Cugnaux) - whose support and commitment have made it possible to bring this major industrial project to fruition, benefiting employment, the region, and French industrial sovereignty. I would also like to thank France 2030, Bpifrance, and European Commissioner Ekaterina Zakharieva, for their decisive support in advancing the industrialization of our low-carbon aviation sector. I would also like to extend my thanks to Brunerie and EGIS, our architectural firm and engineering design office, for the quality of their work in designing this project,” states Jérémy Caussade, Co-founder and President of AURA AERO.

A dual industrial strategy and integrated production

AURA Factory is designed to support AURA AERO’s dual industrial strategy, enabling the production of aircraft for both civil and military markets. This approach addresses the growing needs for sovereignty, industrial resilience, and strategic autonomy.

As a fully integrated industrial facility capable of designing, assembling, and manufacturing all programs developed by AURA AERO, AURA Factory will produce, in particular:

- the Integral family, a range of training and practice aircraft with aerobatic capabilities, designed for civilian and military flight schools;

- Enbata, a next-generation tactical MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drone designed for surveillance, intelligence, and operational support missions;

- ERA, a hybrid-electric regional aircraft designed to transform regional air mobility by offering more sustainable and efficient aviation, available in a standard 19-seat version or an exclusive version (8 or 9 seats), as well as cargo or medical evacuation variants.

This industrial organization will enable AURA AERO to control its entire production chain in France, while supporting the ramp-up of its current and future programs.

A strong regional momentum

The granting of the building permit marks the launch of the project’s operational phase. Work has already begun on the initial steps to remediate the Toulouse-Francazal site. Once this phase is complete, the AURA Factory groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for the second half of 2026, marking the official start of construction. The plant is expected to begin operations by 2028.

AURA AERO would like to extend its sincerest thanks to all public and regional stakeholders who have supported them from the outset and made this major industrial project a reality. In particular, the entire teams at the Occitanie Region, Toulouse Métropole, local authorities, government agencies, SEFTA (Toulouse-Francazal Airport operating company), as well as institutional and economic partners - including the Toulouse Chamber of Commerce (CCI) and Toulouse Blagnac Airport - who have supported the project at every stage.

With AURA Factory, AURA AERO reaffirms its ambition to design and manufacture a new generation of innovative and sustainable aircraft in France. This project demonstrates its ability to drive an ambitious industrial vision that creates jobs, skills, and value for the region.