Electra and Atlas have signed an airframe agreement for the EL9 Ultra Short aircraft as the programme advances through flight test, certification and towards commercial production.

Electra is developing the EL9 Ultra Short around its ‘Direct Aviation’ model of regional travel, which aims to bring air services closer to where people live and work. Carrying nine passengers and payload while taking off and landing in as little as 150ft, the EL9 is designed to operate from smaller spaces, enabling shorter, more direct journeys between communities rather than routing travellers via long drives or distant, congested airports.

Under the agreement, Atlas will manufacture and assemble EL9 airframes for Electra’s flight test and certification programme. Work is scheduled to begin this month at Atlas’s facilities, with the first deliveries expected in 2027.

The two teams will work together to mature the EL9 production architecture, reduce manufacturing risk and build the industrial foundation needed to scale output after certification.

Electra CEO Marc Allen says: “Realising this vision requires more than a breakthrough aircraft; it requires the ability to build and deliver it with the consistency and scale of an advanced production system. Atlas, with its manufacturing expertise and aerospace discipline, now joins us in turning the EL9 from a new kind of airplane into a new way of connecting communities.”

Atlas CEO Greg Harwell adds: “Atlas brings decades of expertise in aerospace manufacturing, industrialisation and supply chain execution to help bridge the gap between innovation and production, ensuring the EL9 is positioned for successful growth and long-term market adoption.”

The EL9’s blown-lift aerodynamics and distributed electric propulsion work together to generate the lift needed for Ultra Short operations, while a turbogenerator supplies the onboard electrical power required for regional range and payload.

In July, the FAA formally established the EL9’s certification basis, defining the framework for distributed hybrid-electric propulsion, blown lift for ultra-short take-off and landing and advanced fly-by-wire flight controls. Electra has also entered a life-of-programme development and production agreement with Safran for the TG600 turbogenerator that will power the EL9.

Electra has selected Springfield, Ohio, as the home of its first EL9 production facility. The planned $850m investment is expected to create nearly 2,000 jobs and ultimately support production of up to 800 aircraft annually. The production campus and Electra’s network of aerospace partners will provide the industrial base for the EL9’s move from certification into commercial production.

Electra’s Direct Aviation Market Outlook identifies approximately 35 million passenger trips each day across US regional routes between 50 and 500 miles. The company estimates that serving the modelled Direct Aviation market between 2030 and 2040 will require 12,000 to 16,000 EL9 aircraft.

Electra has secured more than 2,200 provisional aircraft orders from more than 60 operators worldwide. Earlier this year, Bristow Group entered into a pre-delivery payment agreement securing the first EL9 delivery slot for five aircraft, with options for an additional 45, subject to certification.

The EL9 is targeting entry into commercial service in 2030.