Family company Aciturri, created in 1977, has reached an agreement with the Belgian company Sonaca to acquire 51% of its aerostructures business, being supported by its historical shareholders Wallonie Entreprendre and SFPIM in order to create a company that will be a world leader in designing the aircraft of the future. The merger of these two leaders in the aerospace industry does not include the Aciturri Aeroengines and Aciturri Tech divisions or the Caetano Aeronautic plant in Portugal.

Aciturri's aerostructures business employs around 2,500 professionals and experts, and closed 2024 with a turnover of 400 million euros. As both companies reported in a joint statement, the Spanish company is recognised by the market for its expertise, especially in the manufacture of aerostructures using composite materials. They explain that these lightweight structures are essential to develop the aircraft of the future, which will have to be more environmentally friendly.

Civil aviation, defence and space
Sonaca is a world leader in developing, certifying and manufacturing aircraft structures and in systems integration for the aircraft of the future. The Belgian company serves major aircraft manufacturers in the civil, defence and space markets. With an expected turnover of 700 million euros in 2024, it has a presence in six countries and employs 3,700 people.

The operation essentially involves an industrial alliance between a company specialising in the manufacture of metal structures and a company specialising in composite structures. The resulting company will have a team of approximately 6,200 professionals located in seven countries, with a turnover in excess of 1.1 billion euros by 2024.

Low-carbon aircraft
Excluding the original aircraft and engine manufacturers (OEMs), the combination of Sonaca and Aciturri will be the third largest independent player worldwide, and will leverage its capabilities in designing and manufacturing the aircraft of the future in order to position itself ahead of its competitors. Its R&D efforts will focus on developing a low-carbon aircraft by 2035 and reaching the milestone of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Sonaca CEO Yves Delatte believes that this merger will benefit the European aeronautics industry as a whole, “In the face of global consolidation in the aerostructures industry, Sonaca and Aciturri are joining forces to play a global leadership role. Only by becoming a European and world leader together will we contribute to Europe's leading position in the design and production of the most sustainable aircraft of the future.”

New talents
According to the Executive Chairman and Founder of Aciturri, Ginés Clemente, the internationalisation of the aerostructures division “is an important and necessary step to strengthen our business activity. Sonaca's business areas and customer base will provide new growth opportunities for our company and our entire team.”

Yves Prete, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Sonaca Group did in turn say, “The new integrated group will need all of its employees and new talent to meet our customers’ growing production demands, fulfil new contracts and implement our research projects for developing the aircraft of the future.”

^{Photo: Sonaca}