Vulcanair to open North Carolina production facility

Vulcanair North America is building a facility to house its headquarters, manufacturing, maintenance operations, and parts distribution at the airport in partnership with Ameravia Inc. of Miami, the importer for the Italian-made Vulcanair. The facility will produce the company’s four-seat piston single, the Vulcanair V1.0, which was introduced to the U.S. market in 2014.

Chris Benaiges, CEO of Ameravia Inc., said in a news release that the opportunity to bring production of the V1.0 to the United States will provide the opportunity to expand the market and help control the costs of production.

The Vulcanair facility will start at 36,000 square feet with potential to expand to 80,000 square feet as the company ramps up production. The facility will be part of the new Elizabethtown Corporate Airpark with direct access to the newly paved 5,000-foot runway at the airport.

Ken Hadaway, an executive of the local FBO Sovereign Aerospace, said the Vulcanair V1.0 will have a significant place in the Part 23 flight training aircraft market. He said Sovereign Aerospace operates several V1.0 aircraft in its flight school operations.

Ameravia Inc. has 26 Vulcanair V1.0 aircraft on order, Hadaway noted, and the new facility in Elizabethtown will be able to produce 96 aircraft per year, each costing around $450,000.

Hadaway said the new facility will create approximately 33 jobs including positions in manufacturing, warehouse, A&P mechanics, structural technicians, avionics installers, inspectors, engineers, and others— with an average salary of $56,061.

Vulcanair North America said it plans to have the plant delivering aircraft in 2025.