Electra is planning a factory in Ohio with an investment of $850 million for its ultra-short hybrid aircraft.

      Aircraft startup Electra is set to invest approximately $850 million in the construction of a factory in Ohio, marking the establishment of its first dedicated production facility for hybrid-electric ultra-short takeoff and landing aircraft. This move positions Electra in the same state as its electric air taxi competitor, Joby, which is currently developing a larger facility in Dayton.

      Ohio has actively pursued advanced air mobility companies as regulators continue to authorize US airspace for air taxis, with Joby indicating that its Dayton location could ultimately provide around 2,000 jobs. Based in Manassas, Virginia, Electra has focused on increasing its engineering workforce over the past year rather than expanding its manufacturing capabilities, so a facility of this size would represent a significant change. Currently, the company employs about 90 people, divided between Virginia and a research site in Switzerland.

      Electra intends to manufacture the EL9, a nine-seat aircraft that it describes as an “ultra short” aircraft, or eSTOL. Unlike eVTOLs, which take off vertically, the EL9 employs eight electric propellers along its wings to create lift by blowing air over its surface at very low speeds.

      This technique allows the EL9 to become airborne in approximately 150 feet and to operate from areas as small as 300 by 100 feet, a fraction of the space needed for a traditional runway. Electra claims a cruising speed of 175 knots and a maximum range of up to 1,100 nautical miles, which decreases to around 330 nautical miles when fully loaded with nine passengers and their luggage.

      The aircraft's power comes from a hybrid-electric system, in which a small turbine-driven generator keeps four battery packs charged during flight, sidestepping the weight issues associated with all-electric designs. In July, Safran agreed to develop and manufacture its TG600 turbogenerator for the aircraft, while Evolito is providing the electric motors.

      Operating at about 55 decibels on the ground, Electra maintains that the EL9 is sufficiently quiet to function in close proximity to residential and commercial areas. The company has promoted hybrid-electric aircraft as a means to increase US regional air travel roughly tenfold, estimating a potential domestic demand for around 16,000 such aircraft.

      Electra has attracted a diverse array of investors, including Lockheed Martin Ventures, which led the initial funding round, along with Honeywell, Safran, Prysm Capital, and Norway’s Statkraft Ventures. It raised $115 million in a Series B funding round in 2025.

      While there has been significant interest in orders, it remains non-binding. Electra claims to hold about 2,200 letters of intent from more than 50 operators, valuing this interest at nearly $9 billion, with notable named customers including Bristow Group, JSX, Blade India, and Surf Air, plus inquiries from NASA and branches of the US military.

      This figure far exceeds the order books of many purely battery-powered competitors, although converting these potential orders into actual customers has consistently been a challenge across the industry. Much of the interest is based on the premise that the EL9 can access small airfields that airlines have left behind for decades, thereby creating thousands of routes that are not feasible for jets to operate on economically.

      It’s important to note that letters of intent do not equate to firm orders, and the EL9 still needs to make its first flight. Electra has already conducted flights with a smaller two-seat demonstrator that achieved takeoffs in under 200 feet, and it promoted what it termed the first urban flight of a hybrid-electric ultra-short aircraft in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. However, the full-size model is not anticipated to take off until 2027.

      FAA certification under Part 23 regulations is expected towards the end of the decade, with service entry projected for around 2029 or 2030. Establishing a factory in Ohio would provide Electra the necessary industrial foundation to convert its order pipeline into actual deliveries, provided the timeline holds and the estimated $850 million investment, along with the job creation it entails, withstands the typical challenges faced between aviation aspirations and starting production.