Since its establishment, Deutsche Aircraft has focused on sustainable aviation, with the D328eco program aimed at reducing carbon emissions in regional air transport. This article goes over how the company came to be and the development of its D328eco.
Deutsche Aircraft
Deutsche Aircraft is a German aircraft manufacturer that officially began operations as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) on December 7, 2020. The Dornier 328 (D328) is a turboprop-powered regional commuter aircraft that was originally developed in the mid-1980s by Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH and later produced under several corporate owners, including the Daimler-Benz Group, Fairchild Dornier, and AvCraft Aviation.
In 2006, 328 Support Services GmbH was established and assumed ownership of the D328 Type Certificate (TC), which certifies an aircraft’s airworthiness under national aviation regulations. Deutsche Regional Aircraft GmbH was formed from 328 Support Services GmbH in 2011 and was subsequently acquired by its parent company, Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), in 2015.
Deutsche Aircraft is focused on lowering fuel consumption and reducing carbon emissions. Its flagship project, the D328eco, is a 40-seat passenger aircraft designed to operate with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as well as hydrogen-based fuels, and represents the company’s primary development objective.
About the D328eco
Based on the Dornier 328 platform, which is certified in over 85 countries, the D328eco is a next-generation regional aircraft currently under development by Deutsche Aircraft, a German based manufacture with a focus on the Sustainable aviation sector. The company introduced a prototype of the D328eco (TAC 1) in Oberpfaffenhofen, on May 28, 2025, showcasing its performance and fuel efficiency capabilities. The aircraft is expected to be highly versatile as it can be configured for commercial use and special operations such as air ambulance, search and rescue missions, cargo and firefighting missions. The aircraft was initially scheduled to enter service in 2026, however, it has been rescheduled for 2027 due to certification reasons.
Deutsche Aircraft continues to develop the D328eco, receiving the first delivery of its Pratt & Whitney PW127XT-S engines from RTX Pratt & Whitney Canada, in November 2025. Several manufacturers have been partnered with to work on the aircraft, such as the agreement with Expleo to deliver engineering services for the D328eco in October 2025.
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