328 Support Services and sister company Deutsche Aircraft have appointed Maximilian Fahr as director supply chain. Fahr is leading the strategic development and growth of all supply chain activities as part of the D328eco aircraft development programme towards the entry into service.

Bringing with him nearly 20 years of experience from a variety of industries, including aviation, Fahr previously held leadership positions in procurement, quality and project management at Airbus, where he contributed to the development, manufacture and delivery of components for more than 3,000 Airbus aircraft in Europe and Asia. He has also operated his own finance and strategic consultancy firm in Brazil.

While working for Airbus, he spent seven years in Asia. During that time, he was responsible for local procurement and supporting Airbus's development in the region including working at the A320 final assembly line (FAL) in Tianjin, China.

Moving forward, the team's primary focus is to ensure the D328eco aircraft's development progresses per programme master plans, budgets and schedules. To that end, Maximilian's team is responsible for finding suitable partners for the programme who can implement future technologies and capabilities into the D328eco to produce more efficient, economic and environmentally friendly aircraft through establishment of a more sustainable supply chain.

The D328eco is being developed to deliver significant improvements in operational and maintenance costs as well as substantial reductions in overall carbon footprint, in line with Deutsche Aircraft's vision and strategic roadmap to support a more sustainable future for aviation.

“Aviation is entering a new era, and we are very proud to welcome new talent to the team who are going to rewrite the rules,” says 328 Group director Dave Jackson. “We have a lot of challenges ahead, but the team's dedication and passion for change is an undeniable advantage that will help us push boundaries and propose altogether new solutions to the market.”

The programme, currently in preliminary design review phase, is focused on the maturity of new systems and materials required to support the aircraft specification. The regional aircraft programme continues to be led out of Oberpfaffenhofen airport near Munich, and planning work has commenced on establishment of the FAL at Leipzig Halle airport.