Diamond Aircraft Austria and Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to jointly explore and develop opportunities for a more sustainable flight training.
The cooperation includes testing of the all-electric eDA40 in a real training environment, an eDA40 purchase intention to supplement the current DA40 NG fleet as well as analyses for the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
The eDA-40 with charging station.
“We have enjoyed a long and trusting partnership with Diamond Aircraft,” said Matthias Spohr, CEO Lufthansa Aviation Training. “Diamond Aircraft’s fuel-efficient DA40 and DA42 models are already operating very successfully at our flight schools in Rostock (Germany) and Grenchen (Switzerland). I am very pleased that with the signing of the LOI for the all-electric eDA40, we are now jointly opening a groundbreaking chapter in the topic of sustainability.”
Diamond Aircraft announced the eDA40 in October 2021. A derivative of the existing and certified DA40 platform, Diamond claims it will be the first EASA/FAA Part 23 certified electric airplane with DC fast charging, capable of turning around a depleted aircraft in under 20 minutes.
The aircraft will feature the latest Garmin G1000 NXi glass cockpit with several avionics add-ons, Safran’s ENGINeUSTM 100 electric smart motor and Electric Power Systems’ EPiC battery technology. Total flight time is expected to be up to 90 minutes as the battery technology evolve.
The eDA40 will be tested at LAT’s Switzerland base in Grenchen from the end of this year and into 2024. Results will help to further develop the e-aircraft for flight training and to explore options for a suitable operation of a mixed training fleet consisting of the eDA40 and the conventional AUSTRO jet-fuel powered DA40 NG.
