Overair Inc. announced Thursday the expansion of its headquarters in Santa Ana, California. The expansion comes as the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and advanced air mobility company aims for full FAA certification by 2025.
The expanded headquarters will feature two buildings near John Wayne Airport (SNA). The 94,000-square-foot “Building 1,” will serve as the company’s corporate offices, shop lab, and cleanroom space. “Building 2,” at a whopping 109,000 square feet, will host the company’s aircraft integration and testing facilities.
“We’re excited to double our footprint and our commitment to Orange County and the city of Santa Ana. This new office space helps us promote a culture that allows everyone on the Overair team to achieve their personal goals and the company’s vision of making the world a smaller, cleaner place,” said Overair CEO Ben Tigner in a statement. “This expansion enables us to grow our talented team, add hundreds of jobs to our community and accelerate Butterfly’s introduction as the most robust and quietest electric vertical lift aircraft in its class.”
Overair’s expansion is being made alongside the development of “Butterfly,” its five-passenger eVTOL aircraft. The Butterfly is currently in preparation for commercialization and scaled production.
Overair intends to eventually bring thousands of jobs to the Orange County area. The company plans to hire 1,000 employees over the next five years, with a focus on talent looking to create green energy systems.
A full-scale prototype of the Butterfly is expected by 2023, hoping to gain FAA certification by 2025. Overair plans for the eVTOL to enter commercial service by 2026.
Overair is a spinoff of military aircraft provider Karem Aircraft, which was founded by Abe Karem, the creator of the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle.
