With a Fistful of Orders, Can a Small French Upstart Beat the Odds?

French LSA manufacturer Elixir kicked off its own AirVenture week with a flurry of happenings, one after the other. While surrounded by so many ambitious sport planes - some survivors, some successes, but a whole lot of ghosts - it makes you wonder just how high they’re aiming.

Happily humming with a few hundred orders in hand, Elixir announced to the world that they will be undergoing yet another upgrade to its manufacturing facilities, targeting an ambitious total of pumping out 300 brand-spankin’ new LSAs per year. Their ambition isn’t ungrounded - unlike other small aircraft manufacturers, Elixir enjoys a pretty good deal of government support at home, as well as a brand reputation wisely built on “decarbonisation” and sustainable fuels. It’s a smart move that opens doors for them and sets them apart from a field of so many low-rate production competitors that trickle out their product to the tune of maybe a dozen aircraft per year. The new factory will boast more than 150,000 square feet (14,000 square meters, of course) for new aircraft manufacture, giving Elixir a definite sing-or-swim challenge in meeting its ambitious goals. Should all go as planned, the firm expects to have employed more than 1,000 by 2033.

In addition to its somewhat eye-popping goals (many LSA sellers would be high-fiving each other meeting even a 10th of Elixir’s sales goals), the brand announced a small bunch of international orders. A couple (well, 4) planes to a Luxembourgian leasing company, 10 to the International Aviation Academy of New Zealand, and a pretty big deal for 50 firm, 50 optional aircraft to Sierra Charlie of Scottsdale, Arizona.

FMI: www.elixir-aircraft.com