Aircraft Industries is a Czech aircraft manufacturer based at Kunovice and associated with the historical Let name. Its principal products are the L 410 family of twin-engine turboprop transports. The manufacturing site's origins date to an Avia branch plant established in 1936, initially for aircraft repair.[1][2]
From repair works to aircraft production
The Kunovice plant repaired Avia aircraft before the Second World War and subsequently serviced German types during the occupation of Czechoslovakia. After nationalisation, its repair work covered a wide range of aircraft. A new factory was developed in the early 1950s, with production including the Yak-11 trainer and later the Aero Ae 45 and Ae 145. Indigenous work included the L 200 Morava, followed by the Z 37 agricultural aircraft. The company's wider manufacturing history also includes the L 29 jet trainer and L-13 Blaník glider, demonstrating a scope broader than its later transport-aircraft speciality.[1][2]
The L 410 family
The L 410 first flew in 1969 and became the basis of a long-running transport-aircraft programme. Later versions include the L 410 UVP-E20 and L 410 NG. The NG accommodates up to nineteen passengers and can be configured for other tasks, including cargo, medical evacuation, parachuting, patrol and surveillance. Its high-wing turboprop configuration supports operations where smaller communities and less-developed airfields require practical transport capability. Aircraft manufacture remains centred at Kunovice, with a network of suppliers contributing to production.[1][2][3]
Ownership and industrial continuity
In April 2022, an agreement transferred the company from Russian ownership to OMPO Holding within the Czech Omnipol group. Subsequent company announcements identify Aircraft Industries as an Omnipol subsidiary. The change followed renewed cooperation between the two businesses on foreign markets in 2021. The Let name therefore denotes a continuing aircraft-manufacturing heritage, while Aircraft Industries identifies the business responsible for the contemporary L 410 programme and its development within the Omnipol group.[4][3]