AURA AERO and the EIC Accelerator: A Hybrid Airliner in the Making

AURA AERO, founded in 2018 at Toulouse-Francazal airport, builds INTEGRAL, a two-seat training aircraft in petrol and fully electric versions, and is developing ERA, a 19-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft. Its EIC Accelerator project, "ERA - Electric Regional Aircraft", receives an EU contribution of €2,499,358 and runs from December 2024 to February 2027, according to CORDIS. The project focuses on ERA's electric propulsion chain: battery packs, an 800-volt distribution network and Safran's ENGINeUS electric motor, tested first on a prototype of the electric INTEGRAL E, which shares those components.

In its first reporting period, the project report says, the petrol INTEGRAL R was certified and first aircraft were delivered to customers, and INTEGRAL E made its first flight and logged about 34 hours under a European permit to fly, according to CORDIS. AURA AERO also signed a pre-application contract with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency on ERA's certification basis. In April 2026 it closed a €50 million Series B with the EIC Fund, Bpifrance's French Tech Souveraineté fund, Safran, EDF and others, bringing total funding to €340 million, according to AURA AERO. ERA's first flight is now planned for 2027, with certification in 2028, according to Le Journal Toulousain.

Where AURA AERO Stands Now

AURA AERO has a building permit for a factory at Toulouse-Francazal and a 16-hectare site at Daytona Beach International Airport for ERA's US plant. The Toulouse plant's €165 million cost will require another fundraising at the end of 2027, and the State of Florida is putting €170 million into the US plant, according to Le Journal Toulousain. The company said ERA's biggest market is the United States. It lost €22.2 million in 2024 on revenue of €1.42 million, according to the INPI financial ratios; its register lists a workforce band of 200 to 249.

The Technology: Proving the Motor on a Trainer

Today's 19-seat regional aircraft were mostly designed over 40 years ago, the EIC report says. ERA is designed as a hybrid-electric aircraft in passenger, cargo, VIP and military versions, and AURA AERO reports letters of intent covering 700 aircraft. Rather than build ERA's powertrain from scratch, AURA AERO flies the same motor family, voltage and battery type in INTEGRAL E, gaining flight hours and certification experience with EASA. A second flight test vehicle design incorporates lessons from the first campaign.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The project runs until February 2027, so it is too early to judge it. The propulsion chain is flying on the trainer, which is the core of what the EIC paid for. ERA itself remains a design: the company's own target for its first flight is 2027.

1. Electric chain flight testsFlying~34 hours.
2. EASA certification basisIn progressPre-application contract.
3. Market accessOrders20 firm.
4. ERA flyingNot yetTarget 2027.

The Money

Of the €340 million, only €50 million is new equity. About €120 million is public grants from France 2030 and the EU Innovation Fund and €170 million is Florida's support for the US plant, according to Le Journal Toulousain. The EIC Fund's share of the Series B was not disclosed.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

A European-built, low-emission 19-seater would serve regional routes that current ageing aircraft serve at high cost. But the programme depends heavily on public money, and Florida is putting €170 million into the US plant while the Toulouse plant needs another fundraising.

The Verdict

AURA AERO and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.