The entire complex will stretch on a total of 135 hectares of land, of which 55 hectares are intended for apartment buildings, Ivo Boscarol, the co-owner and director of the Ajdovščina-based company has told the STA.

The seven-year project will be managed by Pipistrel Investment, a company established by the Chinese partner Kang Quai Group (which owns 80% of the company) and Pipistrel's Chinese subsidiary Pipistrel Asia Pacific, which holds a 20% stake.

Today's ceremony was attended by representatives of Pipistrel and Chinese local authorities, a government delegation headed by Infrastructure Minister Peter Gašperšič and a delegation of the Ajdovščina Municipality headed by Mayor Tadej Beočanin.

Pipistrel Investment is expected to produce more than 500 ultra-light aircraft a year in the new facility, with the Slovenian and Chinese partners observing a favourable trend in the development of environmentally-friendly air transport.

The plan is to build several production facilities for Pipistrel aircraft in China, including for ultra-light and hybrid aircraft of the Panthera line for the Chinese and eleven surrounding markets.