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4 clusters · 20 sources · 29 days · First seen · Last updated

Deutsche Aircraft D328eco development and production

Overview

Deutsche Aircraft has progressed through key development and manufacturing stages for its D328eco regional aircraft. In early September 2026, the company completed the first phase of flight testing for its new landing gear system using a legacy D328 testbed. This followed successful taxi tests and included a transition to a new supplier to secure full intellectual property rights for the landing gear architecture. By late September 2026, the company officially opened its Final Assembly Line (FAL) at Leipzig/Halle Airport, marking the transition of the D328eco program from development to serial production. The facility represents an investment of over 100 million euros and covers a 60,500-square-meter footprint, including a logistics center, administrative headquarters, and a flight-readiness hangar. The plant is expected to create approximately 250 direct jobs and has an annual production capacity of up to 48 aircraft. This project marks the return of aircraft manufacturing to the Saxony region for the first time in over 60 years and is supported by approximately 3.2 million euros from the Free State of Saxony through the Federal-State GRW programme. In early October 2026, Jungheinrich handed over a newly constructed automated logistics center at the Leipzig/Halle site to support D328eco production. As part of a digital, paperless “Factory 4.0” initiative, the center integrates a PowerCube small-parts storage system with an AutoVNA automated very narrow aisle warehouse. This system is designed to reduce component lead times and minimize manual transport by linking small parts and larger pallets directly to the assembly lines. With these advancements, the site is now expected to create between 250 and 350 jobs. The D328eco is a modernized, stretched evolution of the Dornier 328 designed to carry up to 40 passengers. It features Pratt & Whitney Canada PW12XT-S engines, a Garmin G5000 Prime flight deck, and compatibility with sustainable aviation fuels.

Entities

Deutsche Aircraft · Nico Neumann · D328eco · Leipzig/Halle Airport · Saxony

Timeline

  1. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Deutsche Aircraft receives automated logistics center in Leipzig/Halle

    Jungheinrich has delivered an automated logistics center to Deutsche Aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport to support the production of the D328 Eco regional aircraft.

  2. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Deutsche Aircraft opens D328eco assembly line in Germany

    Deutsche Aircraft has opened a €100 million final assembly line at Leipzig/Halle Airport to produce the D328eco regional airliner, marking a major return of aircraft manufacturing to Saxony.

  3. [BUSINESS] 13 sources
    Deutsche Aircraft opens D328eco assembly line in Leipzig

    Deutsche Aircraft has opened a €100 million final assembly line in Leipzig, Germany, for its D328eco regional aircraft, aiming for serial production by 2028.

  4. [TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
    Deutsche Aircraft completes first flight tests for D328eco landing gear

    Deutsche Aircraft has completed the first phase of flight testing for the D328eco landing gear system using a legacy D328 testbed, marking a key step in the aircraft's certification process.

Sources

aerospacetestinginternational.com · aerotime.aero · aircraftinteriorsinternational.com · airdatanews.com · airway.com.br · aviacionnews.com · aviation.direct · berliner-zeitung.de · dailyguardian.ca · delphosmagazine.com · esut.de · leehamnews.com · leipziginfo.de · liberiawire.com · namibianewsdigest.com · perspektive-online.net · pilootenvliegtuig.nl · radiobrocken.de · www4.mdr.de · zimbabweonlinenews.com

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history