EVERETT — Arlington-based electric aircraft manufacturer Eviation has dramatically reduced operations and laid off most of its workforce, according to multiple sources.
In October 2024, the company had reported $5 billion in sales as it plotted a sustainable aviation future for its nine-seat electric plane called Alice, named after Alice in Wonderland.
Eviation first offered its vision of a green aviation, battery-powered future when a test Alice plane successfully completed an eight-minute test flight in September 2022 at Moses Lake.
After the test flight, Eviation made multiple announcements about new orders from multiple airlines for its Alice aircraft.
Eviation is located at a 21,000-square-foot hanger at Arlington Municipal Airport. The airport had rented the hanger to a company called Westar, which subleased it to Eviation.
“The City of Arlington and its Municipal Airport are disappointed to see Eviation pause operations,” said Mandy Kruger, a spokesperson for the city of Arlington, in a statement Tuesday. “While Eviation has made no official announcement and we are learning about this news along with the public, the City remains committed to supporting innovation in aviation.”
Aviation blog “The Air Current” first reported on Feb. 14 that Eviation had laid off most of its staff as it sought more funding.
Eviation did not respond to requests for comment.
Eviation CEO Andre Stein told The Air Current that the staff reductions helped the company look for “strategic opportunities” and that the electric aircraft manufacturing program was not being shut down, but did not offer details.
Teri Stahl, Westar’s general manager, told The Everett Herald that she saw more than a dozen workers’ cars at Eviation’s 21,000-square-foot hanger on Tuesday and that company was operating but with a reduced workforce.
Stahl said Eviation still has a year left on its multi-year lease and has not informed Westar that they plan to break the lease.
She said she hoped the company would find more funding.
Eviation’s largest shareholder is the Claremont Group. The investment company’s funding source is billionaire Richard Chandler, who is based in Hong Kong.
Everett-based MagniX, which provided the batteries for the first Alice test flight in 2022, is also owned by the Claremont Group.
Randy Diamond: 425-339-3097; randy.diamond@heraldnet.com
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
