AbstractThis paper presents a switching control strategy to solve the acceleration problem with safety constraints for aero‐engines. The proposed strategy is based on an equilibrium manifold expansion (EME) model. That brings a more precise description for the dynamic behavior of the aero‐engine during the acceleration procedure. The acceleration controller, the safety protection controller, and the set‐point controller are designed separately for the respective objectives with more degree of freedom and less conservatism. Based on Lyapunov function, the switching law is properly designed to ensure asymptotic stability with acceleration constraint and the high pressure turbine outlet temperature safety constraint for the nonlinear EME model. It is not necessary to construct a minimum phase nonlinear system using the proposed strategy. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is verified through a case study where the controller designed based on the EME model is used for a nonlinear component‐level (NCL) model. Simulation also indicates better performance from using the proposed strategy than the existing method.