DRA and sister company 328 Support Services have appointed Jose Costas as VP of aircraft sales. Leveraging his significant aviation industry experience, Costas is responsible for all aircraft sales, including that of the Dornier D328eco aircraft and legacy D328 aircraft, as well as marketing and customer experience.

“We are delighted to welcome Jose to the team, and to put his skills to work making the most out of the company's opportunity to revolutionise aviation in the interest of affordable sustainability,” says MD Dave Jackson.

Costas brings to DRA 20 years of experience in the global aviation industry. Most recently, he held senior positions with Embraer in its Commercial and Executive branches. He was responsible for sales, contracts management and aircraft deliveries in Brazil, as well as aircraft marketing and sales in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“It is certainly one of the most challenging times for aviation in its history; however, I am equally certain that the industry will adapt and endure over time, especially as we capitalise on opportunities to innovate and bring more modern, reliable and cost-effective solutions like the D328 platform to market,” he comments. “With a strong heritage and clear plans for the future, I know the D328 aircraft will be ideally positioned as the market rebounds.”

The primary focus of the DRA aircraft sales team is to promote the D328 platform to existing and potential customers in the domestic and regional airline community. The D328 already has a strong following in the special mission arena and the team is committed to developing these capabilities in parallel with passenger versions, including that of the D328eco. The technical mission for the D328eco is based on a commitment to more sustainable aviation with significant positive impacts on short-range regional transportation versus today's standard technologies. The D328eco delivers significant improvements in operational and maintenance costs as well as substantial reductions in overall carbon footprint.

The regional aircraft programme is led out of Oberpfaffenhofen airport near Munich and planning work has commenced for the establishment of the final assembly line at Leipzig Halle Airport. Entry into service remains in 2024 as presented in August 2019 in Leipzig.