Electra and The Atlas Group Sign Airframe Agreement for EL9 Ultra Short

MANASSAS, Va. and WICHITA, Kan., Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Electra and The Atlas Group today announced a landmark airframe agreement for the EL9 Ultra Short airplane, pairing Electra's innovative aircraft design with Atlas's proven aerospace manufacturing expertise as the program advances through flight test, certification, and toward scaled commercial production.

Electra is developing the EL9 Ultra Short to open the door to Direct Aviation: a new model of regional travel that brings air service closer to where people live, work and play. In carrying nine passengers and meaningful payload while taking off and landing in as little as 150 feet, the EL9 can operate from dramatically smaller spaces, enabling shorter, more direct journeys between communities rather than routing travelers via long drives or through distant, congested airports.

Under the agreement, Atlas will manufacture and assemble EL9 airframes for Electra's flight test and certification program. Work is scheduled to begin this month at Atlas' facilities, with first deliveries expected in 2027. The partnership marks a significant milestone on Electra's path to certification and commercial entry into service, drawing on Atlas's deep experience in aerospace manufacturing, complex aerostructures, production system development, and automated manufacturing.

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

"Today's agreement with The Atlas Group is another great milestone in Electra's journey to open a new era of aviation," said Marc Allen, CEO of Electra. "The EL9 is designed to transform how people travel and where aviation serves us all. Realizing 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."

"We are excited to be a part of the Electra team as we engage in transforming a groundbreaking hybrid-electric aircraft concept into a producible, scalable platform," said Greg Harwell, CEO of The Atlas Group. "Atlas brings decades of expertise in aerospace manufacturing, industrialization, 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 is a nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft designed to take off and land in as little as 150 feet, enabling operations from locations far smaller and closer to where people live, work and travel than conventional airports. Its 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 practical regional range and payload.

In combining the accessibility of a helicopter with the speed, comfort and operational flexibility of a fixed-wing airplane, the EL9 is designed to make direct regional air travel practical. It is intended to deliver quiet, safe, affordable service with meaningful payload and practical range from more locations than traditional aircraft can today serve.

The Atlas agreement comes as Electra moves rapidly from demonstrating Ultra Short technology toward certification, production and commercialization of the EL9.

In July, the FAA formally established the EL9's certification basis, defining the framework for several industry firsts including distributed hybrid-electric propulsion, blown lift for ultra-short takeoff and landing, and advanced fly-by-wire flight controls. Electra has also entered a life-of-program 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 $850 million investment will create nearly 2,000 jobs and is designed to ultimately support production of up to 800 aircraft annually. Together, Electra's production campus and a growing network of experienced aerospace partners are creating the industrial base needed to move the EL9 from certification into high-rate commercial production.

Those investments are being driven by a regional mobility market that already exists at significant scale. Electra's Direct Aviation Market Outlook identifies approximately 35 million passenger trips each day across U.S. regional routes between 50 and 500 miles. In the heart of the market, trips between roughly 50 and 250 miles are too long to drive and too short to fly, leaving most travelers with few practical alternatives.

Electra estimates that serving the modeled Direct Aviation market between 2030 and 2040 will require 12,000 to 16,000 EL9 aircraft. The company has secured more than 2,200 provisional aircraft orders from more than 60 operators worldwide, and 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.

About Electra

Electra.aero, Inc. (Electra) is an advanced air mobility (AAM) company building hybrid-electric Ultra Short airplanes that deliver unprecedented performance advantages to fly people and cargo seamlessly without airports, emissions, or noise. With the EL9 Ultra Short, Electra is pioneering Direct Aviation, the next level of connectivity that brings air travel closer to where we live, work, and play. Electra's Ultra Short technology delivers 2.5x the payload and 10x longer range with 70% lower operating costs than helicopters and eVTOLs with significantly greater safety and far less certification risk.

Electra's team includes some of the most respected and successful entrepreneurs and engineers in novel aircraft design, with over 40 prior aircraft successfully developed and/or certified. Lockheed Martin Ventures, Honeywell Aerospace, and Safran are among Electra's strategic investors along with Prysm Capital, the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), and other private investors. Electra's contracted customers include the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and NASA along with over 2,200 letters of intent from 60+ commercial customers, including both airlines and helicopter operators.

About The Atlas Group

Atlas is a vertically integrated aerospace and defense solutions partner built to solve complex challenges others cannot. With operations across Wichita, Park City, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Mexico, Atlas brings together engineering expertise, advanced manufacturing, and system-level integration into one unified platform to help customers advance what's possible.

For more information, visit atlas-aero.com.

Media Contacts

Matthew Bowen
Vrge Strategies
[email protected] 

SOURCE Electra.aero