Hybrid-electric aircraft startup Electra announced Wednesday that it has entered into a production agreement with France’s Safran Helicopter Engines to supply turbogenerators for its flagship aircraft.
The deal covers an initial order of 250 TG600 turbogenerators to power the EL9, Electra’s nine-passenger Ultra Short aircraft. The company says production can scale up as demand grows, with the EL9’s first flight anticipated sometime in late 2027 or early 2028.
The announcement comes at a time when companies in the advanced air mobility sector are moving to lock down suppliers for key aircraft components and pursue regulatory certification before launching commercial operations.
Electra, which counts Lockheed Martin Ventures and Honeywell among its backers, was selected earlier this year as part of a Trump administration pilot program alongside Archer and Joby, with the goal of accelerating the rollout of air taxis across the United States.
Wednesday’s agreement expands a relationship between Electra and Safran that was first established in 2023 and is intended to support both the development and certification process for the EL9, which is targeted to begin commercial service in 2030.
Jean-François Sauer, Executive Vice President of Programs at Safran Helicopter Engines, offered perspective on why hybrid technology is essential right now. “Fully electrical will be so limited in range over the next years that it will be for air taxiing, probably for very very short distances,” he told Reuters.
Electra CEO Marc Allen described the turbogenerator agreement as a significant milestone for the company. He noted that Electra currently has 2,200 aircraft in its order backlog, with 63 operating customers waiting on deliveries.
A turbogenerator combines a gas turbine with one or more electric generators, along with systems that regulate electrical power and voltage.
Allen also said the program would open doors for Electra to fly its aircraft in various new urban airspaces, collecting data that could prove useful to the Department of Transportation and the FAA in shaping future aviation policy.
