Malaysia could be the next location for final assembly of VoltAero’s Cassio family of hybrid-electric aircraft following an agreement struck between the French manufacturer and two partners.
Under the letter of intent (LoI) signed by VoltAero and Malaysian firm SEDC Energy and French specialist engineering business ACI Groupe, the parties have outlined a “shared vision to create a state-of-the-art assembly centre in Sarawak” – a state in the north of the country.
SEDC Energy is an offshoot of the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation.
Additionally, the two partners have expressed interest in acquiring a stake in VoltAero, the company discloses. It is unclear if each partner would take a separate holding, or via a proposed joint venture.
That joint venture would also have manufacturing and distribution rights for the Cassio aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region, VoltAero states.
Other elements foreseen by the pact include: setting up a final assembly line for the Cassio in Sarawak; training of local technicians in France and Malaysia; creation of a pilot training academy; technology transfer; deployment of charging solutions across the region; and development of local supply chains “with the ACI Groupe playing a lead role in the project’s early stages”.
Neither a timeline for the finalisation of the agreement, nor the size of any investment in VoltAero have been disclosed.
VoltAero’s initial production line is in Rochefort, western France, a facility that was inaugurated in November last year.
“Establishing a regional hub in Malaysia allows us to expand our production capacity, deliver on regional demand, and transfer technology and skills to a key part of the world that is embracing sustainable aviation,” says VoltAero chief executive Jean Botti.
If formalised, the agreement will be the latest link between VoltAero and the southeast Asian country: at the recent Paris air show the airframer disclosed a 30-unit order from Malaysian flight-training provider HM Aerospace.
VoltAero is aiming to achieve European Union Aviation Safety Agency validation for the four-passenger Cassio 330 in 2027. At Paris, it detailed significant changes to the aircraft’s configuration and powertrain that it says will make the aircraft easier to certificate.
