SONACA

Sonaca Group

Company type	SA
Industry	Aerospace
Headquarters	Gosselies, Charleroi (Hainaut Province) , Belgium
Number of employees	4,630
Subsidiaries	LMI Aerospace, Sonaca Montréal, Sonaca Brasil, Sinelson, Sonaca Aircraft, Sonaca Space
Website	www.sonaca.com

The Sonaca Group—an abbreviation for Société Nationale de Construction Aérospatiale ("National Aerospace Construction Company")—is a Belgium-based aerospace enterprise. Its network of subsidiaries spans across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, Romania, and Sri Lanka. In 2018, the group reported operating revenues reaching $900 million and employed a workforce of 4,630 individuals. Ownership is predominantly held by SRIW S.A. (Société Régionale d'Investissement de Wallonie) with 92.604%, followed by SFPI S.A. (Société Fédérale de Participations et d'Investissement) at 7.393%, and a minor stake of 0.003% by SABCA S.A.

Sonaca Group specializes in the engineering and manufacture of movable wing components such as slats and flaps, alongside complex structural parts for both civil and defense aviation sectors. Moreover, the company has consistently expanded its expertise into the design and fabrication of space-related structures.

SEGA

The origins of Sonaca trace back to the Belgian firm Avions Fairey, which itself evolved from SEGA (Société Générale d'Entreprises Aéronautiques). This company was established on 25 June 1920 by a consortium of local dignitaries—Fernand Loescher, Victor Dupuis, Alphonse and Désiré Jaumin, André Gobbe, Marius Loiselet, and Arille Carlier—formalized by notary Maillard.

SEGA’s initial venture was a flying school initiated by Commander Fernand Jacquet, a World War I ace credited with seven victories and a prominent figure in military aviation who resigned in January 1921. By July 1921, Jacquet secured a significant contract to train military pilots—a core activity for nearly a decade. Over time, SEGA acquired extensive land that later formed the basis of the current Gosselies Aerodrome. During the 1920s, SEGA conducted aircraft repairs and produced under license five AVIA BH-21 planes along with prototypes of the HB-1 designed by Henri Bulté.

Avions Fairey

In 1931, Belgium’s procurement of 43 Fairey Firefly IIM planes included a clause requiring that 33 units be manufactured domestically. When SABCA declined to produce these licensed aircraft, Fairey UK (Hayes) established a Belgian subsidiary under Ernest Oscar Tips’ leadership: Société Belge des Avions Fairey. This entity utilized SEGA’s aerodrome facilities and skilled workforce. Within its initial eight years, the company assembled approximately 250 aircraft.

Avions Fairey subsequently developed the Fairey Fox, a light bomber derived from the Firefly IIM model. The factory also produced the Tipsy series of light aircraft under Ernest O. Tips’ guidance. Another creation was the Fairey Fantôme, an enhanced iteration of the Firefly IIM biplane noted for its refined aesthetics but outdated technology, which limited its commercial success.

As World War II loomed, efforts to rapidly rearm included an order for 80 aircraft to be built in Belgium alongside British-made Hawker Hurricane Mk1 fighters. However, only two planes were delivered before hostilities commenced. The facility suffered severe damage from German bombing on May 10, 1940. SEGA remained dormant until 1946 when it resumed maintenance services for Belgian Air Force planes and certain civil aviation aircraft.

Starting in 1950, production resumed with the manufacture of Meteor F.8 jets for Belgian and Dutch forces. From 1953 until 1958, fuselage assembly for Hawker Hunters serving these air forces was undertaken. In 1957, SEGA produced the Tipsy Nipper, an affordable single-seat aircraft powered by a 25 HP Volkswagen engine. Between 1957 and 1963, maintenance work was carried out on the Belgian Air Force’s F-84F fleet.

When six European nations opted for the acquisition of F-104G fighters, "Avions Fairey" partnered with SABCA to manufacture these jets domestically. Production of Belgian F-104G units occurred between January 1962 and June 1965. Additionally, from 1964 to 1971, Avions Fairey performed maintenance on Luftwaffe F-104G aircraft.

Following directives from the British government aimed at consolidating its aerospace industry, Fairey UK divested all aeronautical operations by May 1960 through sale to Westland. In 1968, SEGA became part of Fairey S.A.’s capital structure. Later in 1972, Fairey Aviation acquired Britten-Norman—then near bankruptcy despite its innovative twin-engine BN-2 Islander utility aircraft—with plans to boost production at Gosselies. Initially assembled in Romania before final completion in Gosselies, both Islanders and their derivative model—the Britten-Norman Trislander—were eventually fully manufactured at the Belgian site. The Belgian military procured twelve Islanders in 1976.

Sonaca

The UK branch encountered financial troubles that resulted in its liquidation on 11 October 1977, which also affected its Belgian counterpart. Meanwhile, Belgium had selected the F-16 as its preferred multi-role fighter jet and was already deeply involved in a multinational collaboration (Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway) for producing the F-16 within Europe. To safeguard its continued involvement in this program, the Belgian government opted to acquire the company. Consequently, Avions Fairey—whose operations had persisted uninterrupted following a composition request on 30 September 1977—was officially rebranded as Sonaca (an abbreviation for “Société Nationale de Construction Aérospatiale”) starting 1 June 1978. Under this significant contract, Sonaca was responsible for manufacturing the rear fuselage and assembling the F-16.

Sonaca Group

Starting in the 2000s, Sonaca embarked on growth initiatives under the umbrella of the Sonaca Group.

During this period, Sonaca established a subsidiary named Sobraer near Embraer in Brazil, situated in São José dos Campos, primarily dedicated to producing fuselage components. Since 2004, two additional facilities—PESOLA and SOPECAERO—have contributed to manufacturing small aircraft parts. Currently, all Brazilian subsidiaries are undergoing consolidation into a single entity known as Sonaca Brasil.

In 2007, Sonaca’s Canadian branch secured financial backing from the Montreal government to invest $17 million toward expanding its wing manufacturing and assembly operations. Later, in December 2017, this subsidiary acquired a large CNC machine valued at $7.5 million to enable rapid production of oversized components.

Sonaca expanded further by acquiring Sinelson in China in 2010 and later adding Sonaca Transilvania in Romania in 2016.

On 16 September 2015, Sonaca launched a new subsidiary called Sonaca Aircraft with the objective of developing a two-seat training and recreational aircraft. The first test flight of the Sonaca 200 prototype occurred on 19 June 2017; this two-seater training aircraft was slated for production beginning that fall. It marked the first Belgian-manufactured airplane since the Tipsy Nipper model produced between 1957 and 1961. The finalized version of the Sonaca 200 was unveiled at the Friedrichshafen Air Show in April 2018. The following year, at the same event, Sonaca introduced the Sonaca 200 Trainer Pro model. Its assembly facility is located adjacent to the Namur-Suarlee Airfield in Temploux.

In 2017, Sonaca completed the acquisition of LMI Aerospace for €405.5 million. LMI Aerospace employs approximately 2,856 individuals across three nations: the United States, Mexico, and Sri Lanka. Despite full integration into Sonaca’s operations, LMI Aerospace retains its original name and continues to operate from its Missouri headquarters.

Military

From 1979 to 1991, Sonaca was responsible for assembling 160 F-16 aircraft for Belgium and 60 units for Denmark. Within the scope of the F-16 program, Sonaca acted as a supplier to Lockheed Martin for the most recent F-16 variants. The company delivered a total of 1,389 rear fuselage components (Aft Fuselage) and integrated 222 complete airframe structures. Sonaca's military involvement extends to the following initiatives:

• A400M:
  • Manufacturing of wing leading edges along with their anti-icing systems
  • Production of main landing gear doors
  • Fabrication of primary structures linking to engine nacelles
• B-Hunter: The Belgian adaptation of the Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), developed in collaboration with IAI since 1998, currently operational within the Belgian armed forces.

Civil

In the civil aerospace domain, Sonaca contributes to several projects:

• Airbus
  • Sonaca has been the exclusive developer and manufacturer of all mobile leading edges and their associated rails across Airbus models ranging from the A310 to the latest A350.
  • For the Airbus A380, Sonaca additionally produces the "Nose Upper Shell" fuselage segment.
• Embraer
  • For Embraer ERJ 135/140/145 and Legacy models:
    • Complete sections of central and aft fuselage
    • Engine pylon assemblies
    • Fixed wing leading edges and corresponding anti-icing systems, including development, certification, and production
  • For Embraer 170/190 E1 & E2 jets:
    • Mobile wing leading edges with actuators and anti-ice systems
    • All central fuselage panels and keel beam
    • Trailing edge flaps
  • For Embraer 175/195 E1 & E2 jets:
    • E1 models: Wing slats and associated mechanisms
    • E2 models: Wing slats, their mechanisms, flap mechanisms, and flap track fairings
• Dassault Aviation's Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X:
  • Both fixed and movable wing leading edges are produced by Sonaca
• The company also maintains collaborations with Boeing on multiple projects

Space

Sonaca’s primary focus in space activities centers on designing and manufacturing flight structures composed of both metallic and composite materials, including satellite platforms and instruments. Over the past three decades, Sonaca has participated in numerous space programs such as the European Hermes shuttle, Atmospheric Re-entry Demonstrator (ARD), GSTP, FESTIP, Crew Rescue Vehicle (CRV-X38), SPOT5, ISS Columbus module, Mars Beagle 2 mission, Aladin-Aeolus, Corot, Pléiades satellites, MUSIS program, MPCV Tank Bulkhead, as well as MWI and ICI instruments for MetOp SG.

Activity sites

Belgium:

• Sonaca HQ: The central office overseeing design, manufacturing, and assembly of sophisticated structures for civil, military, and space sectors.
• Sonaca Aircraft: Manufacturer specializing in light aircraft production.

Brazil (Sonaca Brasil):

• Sobraer: Handles assembly and finishing operations for Embraer and Airbus components.
• Sopeçaero: Specializes in sheet metal fabrication.
• Pesola: Focused on precision machining services.

Canada:

• Sonaca Montreal: Engaged in machining and forming wing panels.

China:

• Sinelson: Responsible for assembling leading edges of Airbus A320s on Airbus’ final assembly line in Tianjin; operations ceased due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Romania:

• Sonaca Transilvania located in Cluj-Napoca: Produces composite components and manages their assembly.

USA:

• Machining: Performs aluminum parts machining (small to medium size) as well as hard metal machining.
• Forming: Works on large and small sheet metal forming.
• Composite: Utilizes hand-lay-up techniques including thermoplastic processes.
• Assembly: Conducts both manual and automated electro-mechanical assembly.
• Space-related activities.
• Service provisions.

Sri Lanka:

• Service operations.

Mexico:

• Forming activities focused on small sheet metal parts.

References

• Pierre Taquet, "From SEGA and Fairey to SONACA: A Century of Aeronautical Dedication in Charleroi," featured in Charleroi 1666-2016: 350 Years of Human, Technical, and Intellectual History (Conference Proceedings, Charleroi, September 23–24, 2016), Brussels, Royal Academy of Belgium, series "Mémoires de la Classe des Lettres," 2016, 416 pages, pp. 177–196
• Pierre Sonveaux, Pierre Taquet, Sonaca: Eight Decades of Aeronautical Commitment, Snel, Belgium, September 2011, 143 pages

External links

• Official SONACA Website
• Sonaca Aircraft Official Site
• Belgian Aircraft Association
• Annual Report 2012
• Annual Report 2013
• Annual Report 2014
• Annual Report 2015
• Annual Report 2016
• Annual Report 2017
• Annual Report 2018