Fairchild Dornier has booked an order for 10 328JETs from German start-up Modern Air and received letters of intent covering seven more from Italy's Minerva Airlines and an unnamed Swiss customer. The manufacturer has also confirmed it is winding up German production of its 19-seat 228 turboprop.
Modern Air is a new carrier being established at the former military airfield of Zweibrücken in the state of Saarland, with support from the local authorities. The airline is expected to take delivery of its first two aircraft next July.
Minerva, of Calabria, Italy, already operates seven 328 turboprops, and intends to take delivery of two 328JETs in mid-1999. The Swiss customer has concluded a deal for five corporate 328JETs.
Meanwhile, production of the 228 turboprop at Oberpfaffenhofen will end later this year. Senior officials at the US-German company say that there remain two shipsets of Dornier 228 components which will be assembled to order. These will be the last 228s built in Germany, 240 aircraft having been produced since 1981.
Any future customers will be referred to Hindustan Aeronautics, which has been producing the aircraft under licence at its plant in Kanpur since 1983.
Source: Flight International
