Deutsche Aircraft opens D328eco line in Leipzig

The €100 million-plus facility at Leipzig/Halle Airport has moved the D328eco programme from development to serial production, with capacity for up to 48 aircraft a year.

Deutsche Aircraft has officially inaugurated its Final Assembly Line (FAL) at Leipzig/Halle Airport, taking the D328eco programme from development to serial production.

The opening also represents the return of aircraft manufacturing to Saxony for the first time in more than 60 years. Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Transport, attended the ceremony alongside Dirk Panter, State Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy and Climate Protection of the Free State of Saxony. Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister and Head of Government of the Free State of Saxony, addressed guests via video message.

Representing an investment of more than €100 million, the facility has been designed for an annual production capacity of up to 48 aircraft. Spanning 60,500 square metres, the site includes the Final Assembly Line, Flight Readiness Hangar, logistics centre and administration building. The FAL incorporates automated logistics systems and paperless production processes, with energy-efficient infrastructure including photovoltaic systems and heat pump technology.

The Free State of Saxony is supporting the project with approximately €3.2 million through the Federal-State GRW programme (Joint Task for the Improvement of Regional Economic Structures). The FAL is expected to create approximately 250 direct jobs as production ramps up over the coming years, with opportunities for apprentices, technicians, engineers and manufacturing specialists.

Nico Neumann, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Aircraft, says: “For the first time in more than 60 years, every phase of the aircraft lifecycle will be integrated under a German aircraft programme.”

Sebastian Böhnl, Vice President Operations & Production at Deutsche Aircraft, adds: “Over the coming months, we will onboard highly skilled employees who will help bring the D328eco from the assembly line to operators around the globe.”

Leipzig will serve as the centre for aircraft assembly, flight-readiness activities and global customer deliveries, while Oberpfaffenhofen remains the home of engineering, flight testing and certification activities. Together, the two sites give Deutsche Aircraft an end-to-end aerospace capability in Germany, spanning engineering, certification, flight testing, industrialisation, final assembly and customer delivery.