Toulouse/Munich, 16 October 2023 – Deutsche Aircraft and Latecoere announce the appointment of Latecoere as strategic supplier of doors for the 40-seater D328eco regional turboprop, a platform that is accelerating the aviation industry’s transition towards lower emissions. 

Through this build-to-print contract, Latecoere will manufacture all six doors for Deutsche Aircraft’s D328eco regional turboprop for the duration of the programme. This will include the passenger door, service door, cargo door, two emergency doors and hatch door. The group will leverage its industrial footprint in Europe to supply Deutsche Aircraft’s production facility in Leipzig, Germany. Prior to manufacturing, Latecoere’s engineering office in Toulouse, France, will support the 2D-to-3D design phase. The first doors will be delivered to Deutsche Aircraft by mid-2025.

Greg Huttner, Deputy CEO of Latecoere, states that “Deutsche Aircraft and Latecoere share the same ambition for sustainable aviation. Building on a strong heritage and next-gen innovations, the D328eco will meet its challenges and as a tier 1 partner we are extremely proud to contribute to its journey with our leading door expertise and capabilities.”

Maximilian Fahr, Vice President Supply Chain at Deutsche Aircraft, remarks that “Doors are intricate and essential components of aircraft construction and Latecoere’s track record and outstanding position in the door market are major assets for our D328eco programme. With this contract we are one step closer to finishing a fully robust supply chain that satisfies our operational efficiency criteria and supports our long-term sustainable strategy with the inclusion of Latecoere to our industrial partner portfolio.”

Source : Deutsche Aircraft