SAN DIEGO— Natilus, an aerospace manufacturer of blended-wing-body aircraft, has begun the process of selecting the site of its first U.S. manufacturing facility.
The large-scale facility will produce Natilus’s regional blended-wing-body freighter KONA, the first of its kind in the world. A strong signal of the momentum in commercializing blended-wing-body aircraft, the facility will be expanded with a larger production footprint for its 200-passenger aircraft, HORIZON.
New tariffs on critical materials are expected to exacerbate aviation supply chain challenges and further delay deliveries of cargo and passenger aircraft to U.S. airlines. By establishing its first manufacturing facility for blended-wing-body aircraft in the U.S., Natilus is well-positioned to mitigate the impact of potential trade restrictions and supply chain disruptions.
Natilus’s family of blended-wing-body aircraft will be made with carbon fiber airframes and offer major advantages in fuel consumption, carbon emissions and payload capacity. The latest customer that has reserved multiple production slots of KONA for its operations in northern Canada is Nolinor Aviation. Capable of navigating rugged terrain and extreme weather conditions, KONA provides game-changing improvements in operational costs, with a 30% reduction in fuel consumption, 40% more volumetric capacity and a 50% decrease in carbon emissions – all while using existing engine technology.
“By manufacturing the world’s first commercial blended-wing-body aircraft domestically, we hope to strengthen the U.S.’s position in the aviation industry,” said Nolan Giblin, Head of Business Development at Natilus. “This is the first of several moves Natilus has planned in its larger roadmap to supply major airlines with a more sustainable and cost-effective aircraft.”
Once operational, the 250,000-square-foot facility will have the production capacity for 60 KONA aircraft annually. As part of the build, Natilus will hire 300 full-time skilled employees across manufacturing, aerospace, propulsion and test engineering, including production and quality roles, test pilots and machine technicians.
For Phase I, Natilus is prioritizing geographic regions in the U.S. with strong state and local incentive programs and facilities with adequate runway length, airspace clearance for testing, training and selloff facilities and proximity to suppliers and transportation. Natilus’s search for its first manufacturing location builds upon the recent trend of aerospace technology companies –such as Boom Supersonic, Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation – that have successfully found suitable hubs in the U.S. with access to skilled labor. With interest from major real estate development partners, Natilus expects to announce further details in the coming months.
Natilus is currently engaged with many prospective states and countries including the U.S., UAE, India and Saudi Arabia about potential sites for the second facility. In the second phase, Natilus plans to develop a 2.5 million square foot facility to accommodate production of the HORIZON passenger aircraft, which is classed in the same narrowbody segment as the Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s in use today. Anticipated to be one of the largest manufacturing sites of its kind, the facility is expected to employ around 3,000 skilled workers once it comes online in the early 2030s.
“We believe that more competition breeds better planes,” said Aleksey Matyushev, Co-Founder and CEO of Natilus. “As trade routes become increasingly complex, we are positioned to manufacture a carbon fiber aircraft that will meet the needs of our customers, who are all searching for the most efficient way to transport cargo and people.”
