From Leipzig to the world: Nico Neumann on the D328eco aircraft redefining regional aviation

As the regional aviation sector faces a pivotal decade marked by fleet renewal, sustainability targets and growing demand for connectivity in underserved regions, few aircraft programmes are attracting as much attention as the D328eco. Developed by Deutsche Aircraft, the next-generation regional turboprop aims to revive a segment that has long been overlooked while delivering a modern, efficient and future-ready solution for airlines and special-mission operators. 

The official opening of the D328eco final assembly line in Leipzig was one of the most significant regional aviation events of the year. Bringing together industry leaders, customers, suppliers, government representatives and aerospace stakeholders, the event highlighted both the scale of Deutsche Aircraft’s ambitions and the growing anticipation surrounding the D328eco programme. 

Given the intensity of the occasion and the busy schedule surrounding the inauguration, we decided to wait a few weeks before sitting down with Nico Neumann, Co-CEO of Deutsche Aircraft, for a more in-depth discussion. We are now pleased to share this exclusive interview with 50skyshades, offering valuable insight into the future of the D328eco, the evolution of regional aviation and the return of aircraft manufacturing to Saxony. 

T.O.: A few weeks have passed since the official opening of the D328eco final assembly line in Leipzig. Looking back, what does this milestone represent for Deutsche Aircraft and for the wider European aerospace industry?

N.N.: This milestone is about much more than opening a factory. With Leipzig, the D328eco moves from development to industrialisation and serial production, bringing aircraft manufacturing back to Saxony for the first time in more than 60 years.

Together, Oberpfaffenhofen and Leipzig give Deutsche Aircraft an end-to-end capability in Germany. We can now develop, certify, flight test, assemble, deliver and support a complete aircraft. For Europe, that matters. Resilience and sovereignty are not things you can buy. You have to build them.Our assembly line is an investment in the CS-25 segment, here in Europe.

But as I said at the official opening: this is not a sprint, La mWara¶thonV. We celebrated an important milestone, but the next morning, our team got right back to work.

T.O.: The D328eco is one of the few new-generation regional aircraft programmes currently under development. What market gap is the aircraft designed to address, and why is now the right time for its introduction?

N.N.: Over the past 20 years, driven largely by the low-cost carrier model, the industry has moved towardsever-larger aircraft. One side effect is that the sub-50-seat market has been left behind. Larger regional aircraft are simply too big for these routes, and the economics don t w¶ ork. At the same time, the existing fleet in this category is ageing, with too little new supply on the horizon.

Airlines serving this market need a solution, because these routes are not just another mode of transport. They are lifelines for remote communities and essential services.

We see growing demand around the world for smaller, versatile aircraft. On top of that is the multi-mission sector, which includes border surveillance, medevac and search and rescue. In fact, around 30 percent of our legacy D328 fleet already operates in multi-mission roles today.

Why now? Because operators need a viable replacement this decade, not promises for the 2040s. We chose pragmatism over hype: a proven platform, modernised with state-of-the-art technology and delivered within a realistic timeline.

T.O.: Regional aviation is increasingly expected to balance connectivity, efficiency, and sustainability. How does the D328eco respond to these evolving industry demands?

N.N.: In our aircraft, these three priorities don t c¶ompete. They reinforce each other. In terms of connectivity, the D328eco can operate from short, unprepared and challenging runways, including gravel landingstrips. That opens up routes that larger aircraft simply cannot serve.

We stretched the fuselage of the D328eco by 2.1 metres to seat 40 passengers, and integrated Pratt & Whitney PW127XT-S engines and the Garmin G5000 Prime flight deck. Compared with the legacyDornier 328, the D328eco burns up to 14 percent less fuel per seat while carrying 25 percent more passengers. That means significantly better economics on exactly the routes that struggle today.

Crucially, we are working with Pratt & Whitney Canada to make the D328eco compatible with100 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel, including power-to-liquid fuels.

The aircraft will operate efficiently on Jet-A and can transition to higher SAF blends as supply grows. This also supports greater fuel sovereignty and improved accessibility as sustainable fuel availability increases globally.

T.O.: The new Leipzig final assembly line has been described as a highly digitalised production environment. How will advanced manufacturing technologies contribute to the programme's competitiveness and future scalability?

N.N.: From the beginning, Leipzig was designed as a fully paperless final assembly line. Every assembly step, quality sign-off and component movement is captured digitally in real time, which gives us end-to-end transparency and quality control from day one.

A great example of this is our automated logistics centre, which Jungheinrich delivered in October 2026.

Two automated storage systems, run by one control system, deliver parts to the line exactly whenthey re¶needed. This will let us scale up to 48 aircraft a year, roughly one a week. Competitiveness isn't just about technology.

Leipzig/Halle Airport is a major express-freight hub in Europe, making it well suited to distributing spare parts and delivering aircraft to customers worldwide. Together with Saxony' s deep pool of skilled engineering talent, we have the ideal ecosystem to scale efficiently.

T.O.: Since the assembly line opening, what level of engagement have you seen from airlines,charter operators and government customers. What feedback are they providing?

N.N.: The opening was a turning point in how customers perceives the programme. When an operator can physically walk through the hall where their aircraft will be built, the conversation instantly shifts from "if" to "when".

We have 134 letters of intent and a validated commercial pipeline of approximately 600 aircraft. Private Wings remains an important early programme partner, and nearly all first-year delivery slots have been taken by operators we have not yet named.

Interest is strong among commercial airlines, multi-role operators, and government and special-mission users across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The feedback we receive is consistent: operators appreciate that we are not a start­up. We hold the type certificate, actively support a global fleet and offer operators an integrated journey from order to training, spares and lifecycle support.

As for commercial announcements, we prefer to fly under the radar and let our customers speakwhen they are ready. We are also in close dialogue with the German government and see it as aresponsibility to support a sovereign aircraft manufacturing industry.

T.O.: Connectivity remains a challenge for many underserved regions around the world. Whatrole do you see the D328eco playing in strengthening regional air transport networks over the coming decade?

N.N.: For communities without rail or road infrastructure, regional aviation is often the only realistic link. Routes connecting to remote islands, mountainous regions and archipelagos are often too thin for a70-seat aircraft, and many of the aircraft in service today are over 30 years old.

The D328eco is built specifically for that mission. It can land on gravel and other unprepared surfaces and has the right capacity for thin routes. Its economics allow airlines to sustain or reopen essential connections that would otherwise disappear. Regional air transport connects people and markets, creating the conditions for local investment and value creation. This is something we have seen firsthand in Leipzig.

Over the next decade, I envision the D328eco establishing itself as the backbone of regional andessential air services worldwide, particularly where flexibility matters more than size.

T.O.: Sustainability is a major focus across the aviation sector. Beyond fuel efficiency, what aspects of the D328eco programme demonstrate Deutsche Aircraft's commitment to more sustainable aviation?

N.N.: Sustainability starts with the product, but it doesn't end there.Sustainability is one of the three guiding principles of our new final assembly line, alongside efficiencyand quality. The Leipzig site uses renewable photovoltaic systems and heat-pump technology, while digitalised processes and automated logistics minimise waste and energy consumption.

When it comes to the aircraft, building on a proven platform is itself a sustainability decision. We leverage existing knowledge and millions of flight hours of operational experience instead of starting from scratch. We're also working towards certification for 100% SAF use without aromatics. 

Beyond the D328eco, Deutsche Aircraft is also investing in what comes next. Our approach is pragmatic: deliver real emission reductions today and be ready for tomorrow’s technology.

T.O.: The D328eco builds upon a well-established aircraft heritage while introducing modern technologies. How have you balanced preserving the strengths of the original platform withmeeting today's regulatory and operational requirements?

N.N.: The legacy Dornier 328 was ahead of its time when it entered service in the 1990s. Around 30 percent of its structure was carbon-fibre composite, and engineers today still talk about its quality. For us, preserving that DNA was a given; the real challenge was bringing that proven platform into today's world.

We kept the high wing and the airframe concept while making targeted, high-impact upgrades. Westretched the fuselage by 2.1 metres and renewed the electrical system, the cabin and the engines.We also upgraded the cockpit to the Garmin G5000 Prime. The newly developed landing gear represents one of the most significant innovations on the aircraft and has already successfully completed its first flight-test campaign.

On the regulatory side, the aircraft will be certified to current standards; while achieving that level of compliance takes additional time, it is the right decision. Customers get a modern aircraft with millions of proven flight hours and lower operational risk.

T.O.: Supply chain resilience continues to be a topic across the aerospace industry. How is Deutsche Aircraft working with its partners to ensure a smooth path toward certification and production ramp-up?

N.N.: Our supply chain is global because our market is global. While we build the centre fuselageourselves, major components come from our partners in Brazil, India, Canada and the United States.

The revised schedule has given us additional lead time to strengthen our industrial foundation. FALdevelopment, supplier integration and long-term planning are aligned, ensuring we avoid the bottlenecks currently disrupting the wider aerospace industry.

We also treat operational readiness like a partnership. Training, spares, tools and data systems will be in place before entry into service, so our customers are on the wing from day one. A project of this scale can only succeed through strong, collaborative supplier partnerships.

T.O.:Germany has a rich history of aircraft manufacturing. What significance does theD328eco programme hold for the country's aerospace sector and its industrial base?

N.N.: The D328eco is the first programme in the CS-25 segment in more than 60 years to bring every phase of an aircraft’s lifecycle together under a German aircraft programme, from development and certification to final assembly and support. We are one of the very few German aircraft OEMs with in-house development, final assembly and lifecycle support capabilities. That matters for three major reasons.

First, it ensures critical aircraft expertise stays anchored in Germany for future generations. Second, our Leipzig facility will create around 250 direct, highly-skilled jobs †including roles for apprentices,technicians and engineers †plus many more across the supply chain. And third, it drives industrial transformation by offering new careers to skilled people transitioning out of adjacent sectors like automotive.

Deutsche Aircraft is carrying forward Dornier's pioneering legacy and proving that Germany can still develop, certify and build complete aircraft for the global market. Made in Germany. Built in Saxony. Delivered to the World.

T.O.: Looking ahead to certification and entry into service, what are the key milestones the industry should watch for over the next year?

N.N.:The next twelve months are about transforming milestones on paper into flight hours and production rhythm on the factory floor. We have refined our development schedule to reflect the realities of today s a¶erospace environment. That includes supply chain constraints across the industry, increasingly complex certification requirements and new regulatory areas such as cybersecurity. I would rather be realistic now than overpromise later.

The key areas to watch will be:

• First flight: TAC1, our D328eco first test aircraft, is scheduled to fly in the first half of 2027. This will start a comprehensive certification campaign running through 2028 and 2029.

• Certification & testing: Building on our simulator operations and the first landing-gear flight-test phase, we will continue with high-load, structural, durability and reliability testing.

• Industrial ramp-up: Onboarding our team in Leipzig, bringing production equipment online and starting assembly of the first serial aircraft.

• Commercial progress: As we reach key development and certification milestones, we expect our letters of intent and reservations to become firm orders. In parallel, we are preparing training, spares and support for early operators.

All of this leads to entry into service at the end of 2029, with first customer deliveries shortly after. Our goal is a safe, reliable and fully certified aircraft that meets the expectations of customers, operators and regulators.

T.O.: As airlines increasingly evaluate fleet investments through both economic andenvironmental lenses, what do you believe will be the D328eco's strongest differentiators in the marketplace?

N.N.: It comes down to four core factors:

- Right-sized capacity: Forty seats is the sweet spot for thin regional routes where larger aircraft lose money. With lower fuel burn per seat, operators can be profitable where others can't.

- Operational versatility: One platform serves scheduled routes, charter and multi-missionroles, and can operate from short and unprepared runways. That gives operators more ways to use the aircraft and helps it hold its value over time.

- Future-readiness: With a path to 100 percent SAF and an advanced flight deck, operators are investing in next-generation efficiency, rather than yesterday s t¶echnology.

- Lifecycle support: We have unified sales, customer support, aftermarket service and training under one roof, so customers experience a seamless journey across the lifecycle.

Behind all of this is a team that has supported the global D328 fleet for decades. We are combining a proven platform with the future of regional aviation.

T.O.: Regional aviation is undergoing significant change. How do you envision the sector evolving over the next decade, and where does Deutsche Aircraft intend to position itself within that future landscape?

N.N.:I think three primary forces will shape the next decade: the need to replace ageing regional fleets, the push for decarbonisation, and a stronger focus on supply chain resilience and sovereign capability.When it comes to propulsion, I'm a realist. Hydrogen and electric flight will eventually be possible, butthey will not be commercially viable for regional air services within the next decade. What will make a difference in the next ten years is efficient turboprops combined with growing SAF availability.

Deutsche Aircraft intends to be the primary European OEM for this segment. We want to be a full-lifecycle partner for regional airlines and special-mission operators, with Leipzig as our production home and Oberpfaffenhofen as our engineering heart. Meanwhile, we continue to invest in research,so that when new technologies mature, our platform is ready to integrate them.

T.O.: What message would you like to send to operators who are considering the D328eco as part of their future fleet strategy?

Come and visit us. Walk the assembly line in Leipzig, sit in the flight deck simulator in Oberpfaffenhofen and talk to the team who have supported the D328 platform for decades.

We offer an aircraft that is right-sized for your routes, highly efficient today and ready for 100% SAFoperations tomorrow. As an OEM, we are big enough to build and certify a complete aircraft, yet agile enough that you can speak directly to key decision-makers.

Our commitment to operators is straightforward: a transparent production process and delivery,backed by a comprehensive support ecosystem including training, spares and operational assistance from day one.

T.O.: Finally, when you look ten years ahead, what legacy would you like the D328eco program to leave on regional aviation?

In ten years, I want people to say that the D328eco kept regional communities connected that would have otherwise lost their air service. And that it did so more efficiently and sustainably than anything else in its class. I would also like to see the D328 MR contribute to a safer and more secure operating environment through its support of critical special-mission operations worldwide.

I also want it remembered as the programme that brought complete aircraft manufacturing back to Germany. A generation of young engineers, technicians and apprentices in Saxony and Bavaria will build their careers on it.

On a personal note, I also started on the shop floor in 2007. I hope the D328eco will show that an entrepreneurial team †building on a great heritage †can create something lasting for the industry. If it does, we will have honoured Dornier's legacy and earned our own.