Bristow Group Inc has signed a pre-delivery payment agreement with Electra to secure the first delivery slot for Electra’s EL9 Ultra Short hybrid-electric aircraft.
The move marks a key step toward launching advanced air mobility services, the companies said in a release on Tuesday.
Under the agreement, Bristow has commitments for five EL9 aircraft, scheduled to be delivered in the aircraft’s first year of production, subject to certification. The deal also gives Bristow options to acquire up to 45 additional EL9’s on the same terms. The commitment was described as a multimillion-dollar deal.
Electra applied to the FAA for Part 23 type certification of its EL9 aircraft in December 2025. Electra said the filing would transition the EL9 out of technology development.
The EL9 is designed to carry nine passengers with baggage or 3,000 pounds of cargo for 330 nautical miles. It also has a max ferry range of 1,100 nautical miles with instrument flight rules reserves. Electra said the aircraft can operate from spaces as short as 150 feet, roughly the size of a soccer field.
By securing the earliest delivery slot, Bristow now positions itself to deploy the aircraft for turnkey advanced air mobility services aimed at corporate customers, resorts, airlines, and government agencies, the company said. The aircraft’s ultra-short takeoff and landing capability is expected to enable point-to-point routes from nontraditional sites such as fields, parking lots and underused runways.
Bristow and Electra have worked together since 2021.
“By reserving five delivery slots in the EL9’s first year of production, to include slot one, they have made a powerful statement of confidence in Electra, our EL9 aircraft, and the future of Direct Aviation,” Electra CEO Marc Allen said in a statement.
Bristow Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer Dave Stepanek said the aircraft’s short-field performance, lower operating costs, and quieter operation could open routes not currently viable with conventional aircraft.
“Electra’s EL9 fundamentally changes what regional air mobility can be,” said Dave Stepanek, Bristow Executive Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer. “It’s ultra-short performance, quiet operation, and lower operating costs create opportunities that simply do not exist with today’s aircraft. Securing delivery slot one and reserving delivery slots in the first year of production ensures Bristow will lead this new industry and bring advanced air mobility capabilities to our customers first.”RELATED STORY: Electra applies for type certification for EL9 Ultra Short aircraft
Recent Comments