Series production of the L 410 NG (New Generation) aircraft has begun on the basis of certification from the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) to Aircraft Industries, a.s. Production started with the construction of the first aircraft, which will be finished by the end of this year.

The certification for the innovated L 410 NG aircraft was issued by the EASA on 19 December 2017 and by the FAA (Federal Aviation Agency) on 10 January 2018.

Development of the innovated model began in April 2010 under the terms of the MOSTA project ("Modernization of small transport aircraft with the aim to increase the effectiveness and economy of operation"). The basic aim of this project was to strengthen improvements of the technical, operational and economical parameters of the aircraft, increase operational safety, decrease the negative impact on the environment and decrease the labour input of the aircraft production.

The MOSTA project, which was supported by the Czech Ministry of Industry and Commerce within the TIP programme, enabled cooperation with other Czech companies and institutions: Avia Propeller, s.r.o., EVEKTOR, spol. s r.o., GE Aviation Czech s.r.o, VR Group, a.s., JIHLAVAN, a.s., Jihostroj a.s., MESIT pristroje spol. s r.o., SVUM a.s., UNIS, a.s., Vysoke uceni technicke in Brno (Technical University in Brno), Aero Vodochody, a.s. a VZLU a.s.

The total cost of the project reached over CZK 568 million, inclusive of resources from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce – approx. CZK 237 million. The project was officially completed on 29 March 2017.

"This is the successful completion of a completely unique project that was both technically and organisationally demanding," said Ilona Plskova, CEO of Aircraft Industries. "This success is an obvious demonstration of the Czech Republic's competences in the field of aviation and opens up new opportunities for deeper cooperation at the European and also global level."

"The L 410 NG excels with a number of advantages when compared to the currently produced

L 410 UVP-E20," says L 410 NG project manager Miroslav Pesak. "The luggage compartment has doubled, and the airplane can carry 400 kg more cargo. The aircraft has a new integral wing with an almost two-fold fuel capacity. The range has grown to almost double (to 2,570 km), with endurance of 10.5 hours."

The aircraft has a more powerful GE H85-200 engine with a take-off power of 850 HP (horsepower) and AV 725 propellers. The engine is equipped with a new reduction gear that reduces noise due to a lower propeller speed. The L 410 NG achieves higher cruising speeds of up to 417 km/h TAS ("true air speed"). In order to improve flight safety and the comfort of crew, the pilot cabin was upgraded with Glass Cockpit technology from the Garmin Company, specifically by G3000 avionics.

"The upgraded L 410 NG will have greater potential for customers requiring long-haul flights or patrol flights," explained Aircraft Industries General Director Ilona Plskova, adding: "Due to better airplane characteristics and higher comfort compared to the previous model, we expect greater interest from customers all over the world". The use of the L 410 NG is also especially anticipated in island states such as Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Japan, where refuelling on remote islands is problematic and a long range is thereby one of the most important parameters. Further potential resulting from remote routes without the possibility to refuel at the destination airport is, for example, also expected in India and Mongolia, where the aircraft can be used by mining companies to transport workers and freight to inaccessible mining areas.