The Andalusian regional government, through Andalucía Trade, organised a commercial mission to the United States in October 2026. Five Andalusian aerospace companies held up to 350 business meetings with companies in the aerospace hubs of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Wichita, Kansas, as well as high-level meetings with major companies including Bell Helicopter, Bombardier Defense, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Textron Aviation, Textron Defense and Airbus Helicopters.
The mission travelled through Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. It also presented the Invest in Andalucía project to local companies planning to expand in Europe. The project is a package of services designed by Andalucía Trade to attract and support foreign investors, and the delegation outlined Andalusia’s strengths as a location for the global aerospace industry.
The participating companies were Sonaca Spain, based in Seville and a supplier of integrated aerostructures to original equipment manufacturers and major Tier 1 suppliers; Mades, based in Málaga and a provider of precision electronic systems manufacturing services for the aerospace and defence markets; Sofitec Aero, based in Seville and an international aerostructures manufacturer specialising in integrated solutions for composite, metal and assembly programmes; Aero SM, based in Seville and specialising in defence strategy and global business development, including consultancy and partnerships in the aerospace sector; and Lamaignere Cargo, based in Seville and a global logistics operator and freight forwarder.
The mission aimed to help Andalusia’s aerospace industry find new areas for international expansion. According to the latest report from the Andalucía Aerospace cluster, the region’s aerospace sector ended 2025 with revenue of €3.228 billion, 10.8% higher than the previous year, and 16,391 jobs. Andalusia ranked second among Spain’s autonomous communities for aerospace exports, with €2.15 billion; 3.4% of those exports went to the US market.
Andalucía Trade describes the United States as a global aerospace hub with strong foreign-investment appeal and a highly developed investment ecosystem. It reports that foreign direct investment exceeds $20 billion and that more than 3,100 aerospace companies operate across the country. The mission was co-financed by European Union funds under the 2021–2027 Andalusia ERDF Operational Programme, which has an EU contribution rate of 85%.
The release says the US aerospace and defence sector contributes approximately $443 billion in economic value, equivalent to about 1.5% of national GDP, and employs more than 2.2 million highly skilled workers. It estimates the market at $463 billion in 2026, with a forecast of $610 billion by 2031. The release attributes growth to defence spending, the recovery in commercial air traffic and expansion in the space segment. It also cites growth in maintenance, repair and overhaul, and the adoption of technologies including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and advanced air mobility.