Electra’s new Ohio 96-acre facility to build 800 hybrid-electric aircraft yearly

Electra announced plans to establish its first production facility for the EL9 Ultra Short in Springfield, Ohio. This marks a major step toward moving the nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft from development into scaled commercial production. The $850 million investment in Springfield and Clark County will create 1,975 new jobs and support production of up to 800 EL9 Ultra Short aircraft per year. The facility will be located at AirPark Ohio, adjacent to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport. “Electra is opening a new era of aviation, one where flight is direct, accessible, and closer to the communities it serves,” said Marc Allen, CEO of Electra. “This agreement is the moment that our vision moves from demonstration into reality.” The EL9 Ultra Short is a nine-passenger fixed-wing aircraft using hybrid-electric propulsion and blown-lift technology, allowing it to take off and land in as little as 150 feet. Designed as a new category of air travel called Direct Aviation, it connects people and places through point-to-point mobility using access points such as parking lots, barges, and sports fields. New facility supports advanced air mobility production The new 96-acre facility will house production of the EL9 Ultra Short. The initial phase will begin with design work immediately, with construction scheduled to begin next year. The first phase will support production capacity of up to 400 aircraft annually. A second phase will expand capacity to as many as 800 aircraft per year. Electra said the facility will support commercial advanced air mobility, military logistics, and humanitarian applications while strengthening American manufacturing capacity for next-gen aircraft. “Ohio is where flight began, and the Dayton-Springfield area has become the national epicenter for advanced air mobility – the place where the next generation of aircraft is being designed, tested, and now built at scale,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in a press release. “Electra’s decision to bring nearly 2,000 new jobs to Springfield will be transformative for Clark County, demonstrating Ohio’s unique ability to lead America into aviation’s next era,” DeWine said. Springfield location offers advantages Electra selected Springfield after a year-long national site-selection process that evaluated more than 140 locations. The company considered workforce availability, infrastructure readiness, expansion capacity, partnerships, incentives, and access to aerospace and advanced manufacturing talent. The Dayton-Springfield region boasts an advanced air mobility infrastructure, including Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, home to the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence and SkyVision, an FAA-approved ground-based detect-and-avoid system for beyond visual line of sight flight testing. The region also provides access to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Research Laboratory, which Electra identified as key aerospace research and development resources. “JobsOhio and our partners at the Dayton Development Coalition are proud to welcome Electra’s first point-to-point hybrid-electric aircraft production facility to Ohio,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. EL9 advances toward certification Electra said the EL9 Ultra Short will usher in a new category of air travel called Direct Aviation, connecting people and places through point-to-point mobility using access points such as parking lots, barges, and sports fields. The company designed the aircraft around its Rule of Six: access, quiet operations, payload, range, safety, and affordability. Electra has submitted the EL9 Ultra Short to the Federal Aviation Administration for Part 23 type certification and estimates a first flight in late 2027 or early 2028. “The first era of aviation began right here in the greater Dayton region,” Allen said. “It is fitting that aviation’s next era will be built here too — in Springfield and Clark County — where Electra will produce groundbreaking aircraft designed to transform the way people travel,” a press release concludes. Recommended ArticlesGet the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Originally from LA, Maria Mocerino has been published in Business Insider, The Irish Examiner, The Rogue Mag, Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and now Interesting Engineering.