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John Langford

Founder and Chairman at Electra.aero, Inc.

John S. Langford III is the Founder and Chairman of Electra.aero, a company he established in 2020 to develop sustainable electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft for regional mobility.2 He is an accomplished aerospace entrepreneur with a history of founding successful companies in the aviation industry.3

Langford holds a Ph.D. from MIT in aeronautics and public policy, as well as bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautics and astronautics.1 His career highlights include:

  1. Founding Aurora Flight Sciences in 1989, a company specializing in advanced robotic aircraft, which was later acquired by Boeing in 2017.12
  2. Co-founding Athena Technologies in 1998, which developed advanced flight control solutions and was acquired by Rockwell Collins in 2008.2
  3. Serving as President of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) from 2018 to 2020.3

Langford has received numerous accolades, including:

  • Election to the National Academy of Engineering in 2018.1
  • Virginia's Outstanding Industrialist award in 2004.1
  • Recently elected as an AIAA Honorary Fellow, the organization's highest distinction.34

At Electra.aero, Langford is leading the development of eSTOL aircraft that can take off and land in areas as small as a soccer field, with the ability to recharge batteries in-flight.34 This technology aims to make urban and regional air transportation more accessible, rapid, and affordable.4

Highlights

Aug 29 · linkedin

Welcoming Marc Allen

When Aurora Flight Sciences was acquired by Boeing in November 2017, I got to meet a whole new universe of motivated, talented people.  Many of them became friends. High among these for me was Marc Allen, then the head of Boeing International. 

Today we are announcing that Marc will become the next CEO of Electra.aero, the company I founded after I left Boeing/Aurora in January of 2020. This is a real trip for me. Marc is a graduate of Princeton and holds a law degree from Yale.  Before joining Boeing in 2007 he worked in a management consulting firm, co-founded a startup, and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.  Over his 17-year career at Boeing he served as President of Boeing China, President of Boeing Capital, President of Boeing International, and President of the Boeing-Embraer Partnership.  From 2020-2024 he was Chief Strategy Office and Senior Vice President.  Marc is no stranger to advanced air mobility: he served as Chairman of Wisk Aero LLC.

I am not going anywhere; I’m just splitting my job.  I will keep the Chairman role while Marc becomes the full-time CEO.  The rest of our team remains in place, including the incomparable JP Stewart leading the engineering and aircraft development, the phenomenal Diana Siegel leading the financial and market development, and the indomitable Christopher Courtin leading flight physics.

Our Ultra Short will define the next level of connectivity – pioneering Direct Aviation without the need for airports, emissions, or noise. The future of air mobility is electric, and Electra!

May 31 · linkedin

Congratulations to Electra's own Ben Marchionna, who has tonight been named by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as the state's first Chief Innovation Ecosystem Officer! We are really sorry to lose Ben but it couldn't be to a more worthy cause. This is a big win for Michigan...and who knows where this may lead? Thanks for all your help and great work getting Electra off the ground. You rock, Ben!

Related Questions

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John Langford
John Langford, photo 1
John Langford, photo 2
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Location

Falls Church, Virginia, United States