The reborn regional turboprop D382eco, a revised and larger version of the Dornier 328, has a launch customer, Private Wings.
The German company specializing in corporate shuttles and charter flights signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to receive five aircraft from Deutsche Aircraft.
Private Wings, which operates from Berlin Schoenefeld and Ingolstadt airports, already flies ten Dornier aircraft, nine 328 turboprops and one 328 jet, in addition to a Beech 1900D.
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“We see the D328eco as a great addition to our existing fleet of ten Dornier 328 aircraft. The D328eco is a natural step forward for Private Wings as we look to grow our business and fleet and seek the most operationally efficient yet sustainable solution to meet the needs of the market,” said Peter Gatz, CEO of Private Wings.
“On the occasion of the ground-breaking ceremony for our final assembly line, it gives us great pleasure to announce that Private Wings, an established German operator and current operator of the D328 family of aircraft, is our first customer for the new D328eco, ” celebrated Anastasija Visnakova, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Deutsche Aircraft.
Assembly line in Leipzig
Visnakova was referring to the symbolic start-up ceremony for the construction of the Deutsche Aircraft factory at Leipzig/Halle Airport, which also took place on Tuesday.
“This is a key milestone in our D328eco program and we are pleased to take this step following our program objectives,” added Dave Jackson CEO, Deutsche Aircraft.
According to the company, the assembly line will occupy a constructed area of 62,000 square meters and will be able to produce 48 aircraft annually.
Deutsche intends to build an eco-friendly structure, using solar energy, green roofs in all buildings and features such as automated transport, use of paperless processes, among others. The total investment, which has the support of the Saxony government, is 100 million euros.
The D328eco will have capacity for up to 40 passengers and will use PW127XT-S engines capable of operating on 100% SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel). The cockpit will be equipped with a Garmin Companion Suite.
Deutsche Aircraft expects to deliver the first D328eco in 2026.
