The first aircraft designed and manufactured entirely in Mexico will be launched in 2026.

MEXICO CITY (apro) .- The company Oaxaca Aerospace announced that the first aircraft designed and manufactured in Mexico will be launched on the market starting in 2026.

On April 23, the Mexico Aerospace Fair (FAMEX) 2025 was held at the Santa Lucía Military Air Base in the State of Mexico, where the company presented its Pegasus PE-210A prototype, the first aircraft fully developed in the country.

Rodrigo Fernández, manager of Oaxaca Aerospace, explained that the Pegasus PE-210A model has a tactical, training, and surveillance focus: "That is, it will be used for primary missions, training, observation, aerial surveillance—for all these types of missions."

The PE-210A is a two-seat aircraft—designed to carry two people—with a tandem cockpit, a range of 1,600 kilometers, and a range of up to five hours, with a speed of 210 knots.

Its development process took more than 14 years, with an investment of almost $30 million, just for the design.

The prototype was developed in collaboration with national and international institutions, such as the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), the Aeronautical University of Querétaro (UNAQ), the Polytechnic University of Madrid, and the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) in the United States.

The company, with only 25 employees, has a production plant in Oaxaca and plans to manufacture up to 52 units per year, but plans to start with five or six, depending on demand.

"Production would be ready in a year at the latest, and we could begin manufacturing the first aircraft based on orders. We would deliver within 12 months," said Raúl Fernández, president of Oaxaca Aerospace.

The Pegasus PE-210A will cost approximately $3 million, which is 30% of the cost of similar aircraft on the international market.

"It could perform missions very similar to those of a Texan model, but with much more affordable acquisition and operating costs," Fernández explained.

He also noted that the company has a second prototype under development, called the Pegasus P-400T, "with a much larger engine, 500 to 600 horsepower, which is already suitable for more advanced training."

The manager emphasized that Oaxaca Aerospace will register its aircraft under the "Made in Mexico" seal, as part of the "Mexico Plan" promoted by the federal government to strengthen domestic production and replace commercial imports.

On Tuesday, April 22, during the inauguration of the FAMEX 2025 Fair, President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted that the aerospace industry in the country exceeds 11.2 billion dollars, and is expected to grow at a rate of 15% annually, which would double its value in the next four years.

According to the president, there are 370 specialized plants that generate more than 50,000 direct jobs and more than 190,000 indirect jobs; in addition, exports have reached record levels in recent years.

Mexico is the fifth-largest country in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the aerospace sector and the 12th-largest exporter of components, according to the Mexican Federation of the Aerospace Industry (FEMIA).

The industry's future is linked to national strategic development, which in the short term could position itself as a global leader in aerospace manufacturing and technology.