The San Diego-based company is developing blended-wing-body aircraft, which will be manufactured in the USA to mitigate against the impact of potential trade restrictions and supply chain disruptions.
Once operational, the 250,000 square foot facility will have the capacity to produce 60 Kona cargo aircraft a year.
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.
The Kona will be capable of navigating rough terrain and extreme weather conditions with a 30% reduction in fuel consumption, 40% more volumetric capacity and a 50% decrease in carbon emissions while using existing engine technology.
In February, Nolinor Aviation announced it had reserved multiple production slots for the Kona, which it will use in northern Canada.
For phase I, Natilus will look at regions with state and local incentives and facilities with adequate runway length, airspace clearance for testing, training and sales facilities and proximity to suppliers and transportation.
Natilus is talking to states and countries including the USA, UAE, India and Saudi Arabia about a second facility.
The second facility will cover 2.5 million square feet to produce the Horizon passenger aircraft, which will compete with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
It is anticipated to be one of the largest manufacturing sites of its kind and is expected to employee 3,000 people when it opens in the early 2030s.
Nolan Giblin, Head of Business Development at Natilus, says, “By manufacturing the world's first commercial blended-wing-body aircraft domestically, we hope to strengthen the US's position in the aviation industry. 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.”
Aleksey Matyushev, Co-Founder and CEO of Natilus, adds, “As trade routes become increasingly complex, we are positioned to manufacture a carbon fibre aircraft that will meet the needs of our customers, who are all searching for the most efficient way to transport cargo and people.”