Deutsche Aircraft and Hexcel Sign Composite Partnership for D328eco

Updated on June 15, 2026 • 3 min read

Deutsche Aircraft and Hexcel have signed a long-term industrial partnership and supply agreement to integrate advanced composite solutions into the D328eco regional turboprop.

The agreement was formalised at the ILA Berlin air show and supports the aircraft’s development, certification and future series production in Europe.

Composite materials for primary and secondary structures

Hexcel’s composite materials will be used in both primary and secondary aircraft structures.

The focus areas include:

• weight reduction
• durability
• fatigue resistance
• fuel efficiency
• long-term operational reliability

These properties are especially important for regional aircraft, which often operate frequent short-haul routes with repeated takeoff, landing and pressurisation cycles.

Supporting a modern regional aircraft

The D328eco is a modernised evolution of the Dornier 328 turboprop.

It combines:

• new propulsion systems
• advanced avionics
• optimised aerostructures
• European design and certification
• improved lifecycle efficiency

Deutsche Aircraft says the partnership will support certification compliance, industrialisation readiness and maintainability.

European aerospace supply chain

The collaboration also reinforces the importance of resilient European aerospace supply chains.

Deutsche Aircraft described the D328eco as a German aircraft programme built on strong industrial partnerships, while Hexcel said the agreement supports next-generation regional aircraft focused on efficiency and sustainability.

🔒 Content Transparency & Editorial Integrity

This article is developed based on real engineering experience, machine testing data, and practical production knowledge from Jota Machinery’s work in advanced composite manufacturing.

All technical explanations—including material structure, processing methods, and performance characteristics—are reviewed and verified by our engineering team to ensure accuracy and real-world relevance.

To improve clarity and structure, AI-assisted tools may have been used during content organization and language refinement. However:

• All key technical insights originate from first-hand industrial experience
• All data and claims are manually reviewed and validated
• The content is created with the primary goal of educating engineers, manufacturers, and buyers

We do not publish content solely for search ranking purposes. Every article is designed to provide practical, experience-based value to professionals in the composite materials industry.

Editorial Perspective

This agreement matters because the future of regional aviation depends on more than new engines.

Materials selection is central to whether aircraft can deliver lower weight, better fuel efficiency and long-term reliability at realistic operating costs.

By bringing Hexcel’s composite expertise into the D328eco programme, Deutsche Aircraft is strengthening the aircraft’s industrial foundation before certification and production ramp-up.

For the composites industry, the partnership is another sign that advanced materials are becoming essential not only in large commercial aircraft, but also in regional aviation platforms.