Diamond Aircraft China receives EASA production certificate

Shandong Bin AO Aircraft Industries Comp., Ltd. (SBAAI), Diamond's first aircraft production facility in Asia, received the POA (Production Organisation Approval) in China for the DA40-TDI.

This certificate was officially awarded on March, 17th 2008 by he EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) in cooperation with the CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) and approved SBAAI for the production and delivery of the DA40-TDI to Chinese customers.

"The Chinese market will quickly expand within the next few years", said Michael Feinig, managing director of Diamond Aircraft, "the largest Asian airlines will double their fleets, therefore our aircraft will be used for pilot trainings also in this area." The Binzhou facility with 30.000 m? was designed to produce up to 1000 aircraft per year and will deliver 80 Garmin G1000-equipped, DA40-TDIs in 2008 for the Asian market, before the facility is in full production.

"We are very appreciative of the effort and time invested from Diamond Aircraft Industries and SBAAI colleagues, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs in Europe and China, the EASA and CAAC, the Chinese Air Traffic Control, air force and local government," according to Gerald Seebacher, Deputy General Manager of SBAAI. "With this outstanding cooperation, we have achieved approval in one year since our opening in December 2006."

Diamond Aircraft Industries now manufactures globally with facilities in Austria, Canada and China, producing aircraft for general aviation with the latest technology.