Belgian aircraft manufacturer Sonaca Aircraft ceases operations and enters voluntary liquidation

Sonaca Aircraft, a Belgian subsidiary of the aerospace group Sonaca, has announced its voluntary liquidation, marking the end of its operations. The decision, reported by L’Echo on November 15, follows the company’s inability to sustain financial viability. Founded in 2015, Sonaca Aircraft aimed to design, certify, and produce a training aircraft, culminating in the development of the Sonaca 200 (S200), a two-seat trainer and touring aircraft.

The company manufactured and delivered 57 units of the Sonaca 200 at its facility in Temploux, near Namur. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing market pressures forced Sonaca Aircraft to halt production in 2022, focusing solely on after-sales services. Despite these efforts, financial challenges persisted, leading the parent company to terminate operations. The liquidation will not result in job losses, as the remaining employees had already been reassigned within the Sonaca Group.

This decision concludes an ambitious chapter for Sonaca Aircraft, which began with the vision of creating a new Belgian training aircraft. The company’s closure reflects the challenges of sustaining small-scale aircraft manufacturing in a competitive and volatile market.