US manufacturer Sierra Nevada intends to restart production of the Dornier 328 turboprop in Leipzig.
The regional government of Saxony, where the city is located, has confirmed the plan.
A press-conference invite issued by Saxony's state ministry for economy, work and transport says that Sierra Nevada and its Munich-based subsidiary 328 Support Services – the aircraft's type-certificate holder – will on 21 August disclose establishment of "a new aircraft manufacturer" at Leipzig/Halle airport.
The project will be announced "in presence of representatives of [Germany's] federal government and Saxony's state government" during a national aviation conference at the regional airport, the ministry says in the invite.
It asserts that the project's location in Leipzig will "strengthen" German aviation "as a whole".
A Dornier 328 turboprop featuring "different configurations" will be on display during the event, to demonstrate the aircraft's "versatility", the invite adds.
Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW119C turboprops, the 30-seat aircraft was developed and initially produced by now-defunct Dornier. A first flight was conducted in 1991.
Fairchild acquired the German manufacturer in 1996 and introduced a jet-powered version with two PW306B turbofans.
Production ceased after the collapse of the developmental Fairchild Dornier 728 regional jet programme in 2002.
Cirium's Fleet Analyzer shows that 58 Dornier 328 turboprops and 50 Dornier 328-Jets – including nine business aircraft – are in service today.
Some 19 of the turboprops and nine of the jets have been stored, while 79 have been retired.
The largest operators of the in-service aircraft are the US Air Force (20 units), Danish carrier Sun-Air (12), German-based Private Wings Flugcharter (10), and US-based Ultimate Jetcharters (eight).
During the 2016 Farnborough air show, Sierra Nevada disclosed a plan to restart production of both Dornier 328 turboprops and jets through the manufacturer's Turkish subsidiary TRJet.
The US manufacturer had a target of delivering in 2019 the first aircraft under a tentative deal with Turkey's government for 50 units.
Sierra Nevada and 328 Support Services have not responded to requests for comment on the Leipzig plan.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
