GippsAero
Two Victorian engineers built the GA8 Airvan, an eight-seat bush workhorse, sold the firm to India’s Mahindra, watched it shut down, and in 2023 one of them bought it back.
GippsAero: the company and the aircraft that made its name
A maintenance shop in Morwell
GippsAero began in 1977 as Peter Furlong’s aircraft maintenance and modification business at Latrobe Valley in Victoria. George Morgan joined him in 1984, and together they formed Gippsland Aeronautics. Their first design was an agricultural aircraft, the GA200 Fatman, developed between 1985 and 1991 and type certified in 1991; about 50 had been built by February 2007, though production was scaled back in the late 1990s.
The Airvan
Their real success was the GA8 Airvan, an eight-seat high-wing utility aircraft for rough strips and hard work. A proof-of-concept airframe flew in March 1995, the prototype in August 1996, and Australian certification followed in December 2000. Exports began in December 2001 with a delivery to Maya Island Air in Belize, and the US Civil Air Patrol became the world’s largest Airvan operator. Airframe number 100 rolled out in September 2006. In December 2009 India’s Mahindra bought 75.1 percent of the company.
Closed, then rescued by its founder
Under Mahindra the ten-seat GA10 flew in May 2012, but the project was dropped, and in late 2020 Mahindra announced it would close GippsAero; from 2021 it was only a spares and support organisation. Then the story turned. In November 2023 George Morgan bought the company back, in October 2024 he and Furlong were inducted into the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame, and in June 2025 Airvan production restarted, with new aircraft expected in service in 2026.
GippsAero in numbers
Het bedrijf
- Kortom
- Founded 1977
- Peter Furlong’s maintenance business, joined by George Morgan in 1984
- Mahindra bought 75.1 percent in 2009
- Bought back by George Morgan in November 2023
Productie
- Het meest bekend om
- GA8 Airvan
- GA200 Fatman agricultural aircraft, certified 1991
- GA8 Airvan certified 2000; 110 built by February 2007
- GA10 flown 2012, later abandoned
Vandaag
- Nu
- Production restarted 2025
- Airvan production resumed June 2025
- New-build Airvans expected in service in 2026
De cijfers
- GA8 Airvans built
- 1102007
- GA200 built
- ongeveer 502007
- Mahindra stake
- 75.1 percent2009
Every notable GippsAero aircraft
| Vliegtuig | Rol | Eerste vlucht | Gebouwd | Status | Opmerking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GippsAero GA200 Fatman | Agricultural aircraft | Type certified 1991; about 50 built by 2007 | |||
| GippsAero GA8 Airvan | Eight-seat utility aircraft | 1995 | In productie | Prototype flew August 1996; certified December 2000; production restarted 2025 | |
| GippsAero GA10 | Ten-seat utility aircraft | 2012 | Gepensioneerd | Development ended by late 2020 |
GippsAero aircraft in the world’s air forces
1 air forces in the Order of Battle fly or flew GippsAero types. Eén ervan heeft er nog één in gebruik.
| Luchtmacht | In dienst | Voorheen gevlogen |
|---|---|---|
| Luchtmachtvleugel van de strijdkrachten van Lesotho | GippsAero GA8 Airvan |
Where GippsAero built, who led it, what it achieved
Fabrieken
- Latrobe Regional Airport works · Morwell, Victoria — Home of the company since its founding
Mensen
- Peter Furlong · co-founder — Started the business in 1977
- George Morgan · co-founder, owner — Joined 1984; bought the company back in 2023
GippsAero, year by year
Peter Furlong starts a maintenance business
George Morgan joins; Gippsland Aeronautics formed
GA200 type certified
GA8 proof-of-concept first flight
GA8 Airvan Australian certification
First export delivery, to Belize
Mahindra buys 75.1 percent
GA10 first flight
Mahindra announces closure
George Morgan buys the company back
Airvan production restarts
Everything people ask about GippsAero
Is GippsAero still building aircraft?
What is the GA8 Airvan?
Who owned GippsAero?
Who is the largest Airvan operator?
Around GippsAero
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Geverifieerd op 3 oktober 2026.