By Charlotte Bailey • AIN Staff Writer
October 1, 2026
Deutsche Aircraft this week opened the final assembly line at Leipzig Halle Airport in northeast Germany, where it will build its D328eco regional airliner. The start-up is working to certify a model that modernizes the 1990s-era Dornier 328 twin turboprop with new Pratt & Whitney Canada PW12XT-S turboprops and a Garmin G5000 Prime flight deck.
While Deutsche Aircraft’s Oberpfaffenhofen base in Bavaria will remain the home of its engineering, flight testing and certification activities, the Leipzig site will serve as the center for aircraft assembly, flight testing and customer deliveries. The company has invested €100 million ($113 million) in a 651,217-square-foot site it said will have capacity to build up to 48 aircraft each year, with new employees set to start work there in the coming months.
Deutsche Aircraft’s new final assembly line for the D328eco turboprop in Saxony. Photo credit: Deutsche Aircraft/LinkedIn
The Leipzig facility was officially inaugurated during an event on September 29. “For the first time in more than 60 years, every phase of the aircraft lifecycle will be integrated under a German aircraft program,” Deutsche Aircraft CEO Nico Neumann commented.
How far the program will fly depends on the existing and future market for turboprops.
Older Airframe Revitalized
The D328eco’s journey can trace its roots back to the original Fairchild Dornier 328 turboprop, which made its first flight in 1991. In 2006, the newly-founded 328 Support Services took over the type certificate rights for the D328. This was subsequently acquired in 2015 by U.S. aerospace and engineering company Sierra Nevada Corporation, which in 2020 established Deutsche Aircraft with the aim providing a more fuel-efficient design for the regional airline market.
During the May 2025 rollout of its first D328eco prototype, Deutsche Aircraft stated it was targeting type certification under EASA CS25 and FAA Part-25 rules in time for service entry during the fourth quarter of 2027. In addition to the new engines and avionics, the modern-day design features Acron Aviation flight recorders.
According to the company, the opening of the Leipzig site marks the transition of the aircraft program from development to serial production using advanced manufacturing technologies, automated logistics systems and paperless production processes. It said the move also symbolizes a new era for both an evolving aircraft and the German aerospace industry, building on what the OEM defined as “Germany’s rich aviation heritage and Dornier’s pioneering legacy.”
Market Size Questionable
While the company’s new facility has the capacity to produce 48 turboprops annually, the market for the 40-seat D328eco appears to be limited. The only true competitor actively producing regional turboprops is French aircraft manufacturer ATR, which sells modest numbers of 40-50-seat ATR 42-600s. Cirium fleets data show that the company presently holds 18 unfilled orders for the ATR-600.
Whether the new market entrant can successfully stimulate further demand and broaden the D328eco’s appeal beyond niche markets will determine the fledgling program’s long-term success.
Leeham News and Analysis editor Howard Hardee contributed to this report.
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