Pipistrel will own a 51 percent stake in the joint venture, while its Chinese partner will own the remaining 49 percent. The entire complex will stretch over 135 hectares (334 acres) when completed. The apartment complex will cover 53 hectares (131 acres) and include more than a thousand apartments, several prestigious villas, a mall and a sports center. The remaining 82 hectares (203 acres) will hold an airport, two aircraft manufacturing plants, and two flight schools for pilots.

“Two of our aircraft, Alpha Electro and Panthera, will be manufactured in Jurong. We’re also planning to develop a twelve-seater here. This deal provides us with an excellent platform for expansion into Eastern markets,” said Pipistrel co-owner and boss Ivo Boscarol.

“China’s flight industry has tons of potential, and we have to take advantage of that. We first need to train new workers, so we decided to send our experts to Ajdovščina, who will then train our workforce here in China – in collaboration with Pipistrel, of course. We will produce around 600 aircraft a year, and our first units will start shipping in around 12 months. We will hire some 200 people. This is an excellent opportunity for Jurong, which is already one of the fastest-developing cities in China,” said Boscarol’s Chinese partner Danny Wu Hao.

Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Pipistrel representatives and Chinese local authorities. Ajdovščina Mayor Tadej Beočanin and a high-level delegation from the government of Slovenia headed by Infrastructure Minister Peter Gašperšič were also on hand.

“Slovenia is proud of Pipistrel and its achievements, and the Slovenian government has also helped pave the way for this deal. In 2016, Slovenia and China signed an agreement to boost cooperation in aviation. This agreement allows Pipistrel to import and export its airplanes. China’s Civil Aviation Agency has already certified four Pipistrel models,” said Gašperšič after the ceremony.