The Atlas Group is set to manufacture and assemble airframes for Electra’s EL9 Ultra Short aircraft, covering the flight test and certification programme ahead of scaled commercial production. Work is scheduled to begin this month at Atlas’s facilities, with first deliveries expected in 2027.

The EL9 is a nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft designed to take off and land in as little as 150 feet, allowing it to operate from sites considerably smaller than conventional airports. Blown-lift aerodynamics and distributed electric propulsion generate the lift required for its short-field performance, while an onboard turbogenerator supplies electrical power for range and payload. Electra has a life-of-programme development and production agreement with Safran covering the TG600 turbogenerator that powers the aircraft.

“The EL9 is designed to transform how people travel and where aviation serves us all,” says Marc Allen, chief executive of Electra. “Atlas brings decades of expertise in aerospace manufacturing, industrialisation and supply chain execution to help bridge the gap between innovation and production,” adds Greg Harwell, chief executive of The Atlas Group.

The agreement follows the FAA’s formal establishment of the EL9’s certification basis in July, covering distributed hybrid-electric propulsion, blown lift for ultra-short takeoff and landing and fly-by-wire flight controls. Electra has selected Springfield, Ohio as the site of its first EL9 production facility, a planned $850 million investment expected to create nearly 2,000 jobs and support production of up to 800 aircraft annually.

Electra holds more than 2,200 provisional orders for the EL9 from over 60 operators worldwide. Bristow Group has entered a pre-delivery payment agreement securing the first EL9 delivery slot for five aircraft, with options for a further 45, subject to certification. The EL9 is targeting entry into commercial service in 2030.