Deutsche Aircraft has broken ground at Leipzig/Halle Airport for the Final Assembly Line of its new sustainable turboprop: the D328eco.
The programme’s progression and breaking ground ceremony for the 40-seat turboprop follows a swathe of announcements around securing new investments and partnerships. The construction of this facility will create up to 350 more jobs.
The orientation of the assembly line at Leipzig/Halle Airport, with the support of the Free State of Saxony, is a strategic one for the airframe manufacturer. The region has an excellent infrastructure, sufficient space and a qualified workforce. In addition, Saxony has a long tradition of aircraft construction, which Deutsche Aircraft can now build on.
The assembly line will be built on 62,000 square metres of ground and will have the capacity for 48 D328eco aircraft. An additional hanger will also be built for aircraft delivery, alongside a logistics centre, and administration building.
The assembly line will also be completely CO2 neutral, producing 750kW of solar power through a photovoltaic system on the roof. Heat pumps, green spaces on the roof, and wood-concrete hybrid construction will also contribute to making the facility 100% climate-friendly.
“This is a key milestone in our D328eco programme, and we are pleased to take this step following our programme objectives,” said Dave Jackson, CEO of Deutsche Aircraft.
“The D328eco is an important industrial policy project for the German government,” said Dr Anna Christmann, the Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace. “The planned use of 100% SAF in the D328eco as a market-ready option is a key milestone for the aviation industry worldwide. In the coalition agreement, we set ourselves the goal of making Germany a pioneer in climate-neutral aviation.”
