In 2023, Deutsche Aircraft accomplished many important milestones as we continue to set new benchmarks in regional aviation and elevate the aviation industry to new heights with our D328eco™. Let’s take a look back at how this year has shaped us.

Recognition and Resonance: Echoes of Success

This year, we have partnered with best-in-class suppliers to secure over 90% of our supply chain contracts.

We announced our first launch customer, Private Wings, and signed an LOI for the delivery of five D328eco aircraft, which will be a valuable addition to their existing fleet of D328® jets and turboprops.

Recently, we signed another LOI to deliver up to four new D328eco aircraft to an undisclosed customer to replace its ageing fleet of regional turboprops.

As we continue to expand digitally, our online presence has taken off, with over 20,000 followers now joining us on our journey. We also launched our Mandarin landing page and official WeChat account in China.

Thriving Beyond Limits: A Blueprint for Unprecedented Growth

In collaboration with representatives from Leipzig/Halle Airport, the German government and the Free State of Saxony, we broke ground at our Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Leipzig. Designed to be 100% CO2 neutral, the FAL will have a production capacity of forty-eight D328eco aircraft per year.

We made our debut at the Paris Air Show as an OEM, where we unveiled our modern, spacious cabin and future-proof cockpit with brand-new flight deck. During the event, we announced significant supplier collaborations with thyssenkrupp Aerospace, NORDAM, Liebherr, and Sasol ecoFT that will further the development of our D328eco.

In addition, we attended Aero Asia 2023 in Zhuhai, where we had the opportunity to promote the D328eco and the D328® fleet to the Chinese market.

We commenced our integration test campaign with a virtual first flight in our state-of-the-art engineering simulator, developed in partnership with Reiser Simulation Training and Garmin, the supplier of the flight deck. This new engineering simulator will provide further insights into the flight characteristics of our 40-seater turboprop and pave the way for an efficient and environmentally friendly test campaign.

In cooperation with business partners, we also hosted the 2nd AIRCRAFT Supplier Summit in Leipzig. During the conference, we recognised some of our top-performing suppliers for their contribution to our D328eco and D328® programmes at the Deutsche Aircraft Supplier Awards.

Driven by a collaboration and innovation, we celebrated our three-year anniversary as an established OEM in 2023. We have successfully evolved into a team of more than 500 aviation experts from over 35 nations around the globe and have moved into a new building at our headquarters at Oberpfaffenhofen Airport this year.

Unveiling Tomorrow: Charting New Horizons

To provide further versatility for our D328eco, we obtained EASA certification for the In-Flight Operable Door (IFOD) for our D328® that will open up multi-mission possibilities.

By connecting with like-minded partners and staying committed to new ideas, we are advancing promising technology to improve sustainability standards for the aviation industry.

With the Uplift project, we’re using the D328® as a flying test bed for alternative propulsion technologies in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the German government and key associates within the aviation industry.

We have also completed wind tunnel testing for the D328ALPHA as we develop future propulsion systems with our partners as part of the LuFo project.

In addition, we strengthened our collaboration with Energi i Nord to boost SAF production in Northern Norway and commissioned a scientific study carried out by Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik (LBST) on the performance of Power-to-Liquids and Liquefied Hydrogen as alternative aviation fuels.

We would like to thank our clients, suppliers, investors and team members who made 2023 a meaningful and successful year for Deutsche Aircraft. We wish everyone a joyful and prosperous holiday season and a happy new year.

Now it’s time to relax, recharge and get ready to kick-start 2024: Are you ready to get on board? Are you ready for the next one?