SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Governor Mike DeWine traveled to Springfield on Wednesday afternoon to formally welcome Electra to Ohio, signing a proclamation celebrating the aircraft maker’s commitment to create nearly 2,000 new jobs in Clark County, the governor’s office announced.
The event was held at the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport. Electra will build its first production facility for the EL9 Ultra Short aircraft at AirPark Ohio, adjacent to the airport — an $850 million investment expected to create 1,975 jobs. The EL9 is a nine-passenger, fixed-wing aircraft that uses hybrid-electric propulsion and blown-lift technology to take off and land in as little as 150 feet.
DeWine and Electra CEO Marc Allen first announced the Springfield site selection in July at the Farnborough International Airshow in England. “Electra’s mission aligns perfectly with the long-standing regional strategy to create the national epicenter of advanced air mobility in Springfield,” DeWine said at Wednesday’s event, according to the governor’s office. “The Miami Valley offers aviation and aerospace companies a combination of assets found nowhere else in the country.”
Allen said Springfield will be the home for building hybrid-electric flight at scale. “The region offers the skilled people, aerospace expertise, and infrastructure needed to make Direct Aviation a reality,” Allen said in the announcement. “As we move from design to manufacturing at scale, we have the opportunity to expand the aerospace workforce and strengthen the supplier ecosystem.”
JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef said the proclamation formally welcomes Electra to a region where years of collaboration have made Ohio a national hub for advanced air mobility, pointing to the co-located air mobility center, a proven aerospace workforce, and the research strength of nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Dayton Development Coalition President and CEO Jeff Hoagland said Wednesday’s event brought home excitement from the July announcement in England and gave the community a chance to celebrate together.
Electra chose Springfield after a year-long national site-selection process that evaluated more than 140 potential locations, according to the governor’s office. The EL9 is aimed at a new category the company calls “Direct Aviation” — point-to-point air travel using novel access points such as parking lots, barges, and sports fields.
Design work on the 96-acre facility is now underway, with construction expected to begin next year. The first phase of development will support production of up to 400 aircraft per year, and a second phase is planned to expand capacity to up to 800 aircraft per year.
Photo: The control tower at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Springfield, Ohio (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons).