Deutsche Aircraft sales chief on regional aviation game changer, D328eco: video

Deutsche Aircraft’s D328eco turboprop is one of the most interesting new aircraft programs in the world right now. 

Granted, over the past few years, the aerospace industry has been fertile ground for all sorts of revolutionary, sometimes undeniably eye-catching ideas.  

However, Deutsche Aircraft has opted to base its transformative proposal on a well-proven and tested platform. The D328eco is a new 40-seater turboprop aircraft which targets a degree of fuel efficiency and performance aimed at combining some of the best features of turboprops and regional jets. 

The German aircraft manufacturer unveiled the first D328eco test aircraft on May 27, 2025, at its facilities in Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich, Germany. The company is targeting Q4 2027 for certification and the subsequent entry into service.  

This new aircraft is based on an existing legacy platform, the Dornier 328, which has been revamped and modernized throughout. Some of the novel features of the D328eco include a new propulsion system, which radically improves performance and fuel burn, an advanced cockpit with state-of-the-art avionics, and a modular cabin design with enhanced payload and flexibility. 

What’s more, far from being a mere marketing gimmick, the suffix “eco” underlines the aircraft’s environmental credentials. Although conventionally powered, the D328eco has been designed to have a significantly lower environmental footprint than similar aircraft of previous generations.   

Besides the fact that its engines are designed to be 100% SAF compatible, Deutsche Aircraft promises a significant fuel burn reduction. According to Deutsche Aircraft estimates, the D328eco will burn 50% less fuel than similarly-sized jets and 30% less than turboprops in the same category. 

Thus, Deutsche Aircraft’s approach with the D328eco is to deploy emission-reducing technologies that already exist rather than wait for a zero-carbon breakthrough that may take decades to materialize, if ever. 

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The right size for the right markets 

The German firm is positioning the D328eco as an ideal choice for those airlines that wish to expand the capillarity of their feeder network or dip their toes into new markets, with long-term potential. 

Some of the features of the D328eco, such as the capability to land on unpaved runways or the choice of cabin options, which include cargo, combi (passengers and cargo) and medevac versions, also make it an option for some specialized operators. Corporate operations servicing the oil and gas or mining industries in remote locations, or flying groups on safari flights in Africa, for example, are among the missions that the D328eco is perfectly suited to perform. 

It is precisely in Africa, during the AviaDev Conference, which took place in Gaborone, Botswana, in June 2025, that the German company’s Sales Director, Reinhard Schwaiger, underlined some of the elements that make the D328eco a potentially transformative aircraft.  

Speaking with AeroTime, Reinhard said that he sees an opportunity not just to replace the world’s aging fleets of small turboprops, but also to respond to an insatiable appetite for new aircraft that appears to have touched all segments of the market.  

He also remarked on how Deutsche Aircraft encompasses other key elements of the aerospace ecosystem, such as pilot training and maintenance, for which the firm plans to leverage its existing support network (Deutsche Aircraft is currently servicing the currently active Dornier 328 fleet, some 150 aircraft worldwide – ed. note).  

Reinhard explained that the firm is capable of providing turnkey solutions to future D328eco operators. 

You can watch the full interview below. 

The post Deutsche Aircraft sales chief on regional aviation game changer, D328eco: video appeared first on AeroTime.

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