Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) has signed a purchase contract for another seven DA42-VI multi engine trainers plus three DA42 FNPT II simulators with Diamond Aircraft during a small ceremony at the manufacturer's headquarters in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The delivery will bring LAT's fleet of Diamond training aircraft to 24 in total (14 DA42 and 10 DA40) and four Diamond Aircraft simulators.

LAT managing director Matthias Spohr says: “As a leading flight training provider, this step is not only a further investment in an efficient aircraft fleet and leading-edge training equipment, but ultimately also in the next generation of top-trained pilots of the Lufthansa Group.”

“This purchase again shows our good and long-standing relationship with Lufthansa Aviation Training. We are proud to be part of its continuing growth,” adds Diamond Aircraft Austria sales director Jane Wang. “The DA42-VI is an excellent multi-engine training platform, popular at many leading flight schools all over the world, that burns up to 50 per cent less fuel than conventional Avgas-powered aircraft and is exceptionally silent.”

The four seat DA42-VI is the newest version of Diamond's light piston twin, the first certified general aviation piston aircraft to combine modern technology airframe, avionics and power plants. Over 1,100 DA42s have been delivered since its introduction, outselling all other certified piston twins combined. The all-composite DA42-VIs are equipped with efficient, silent, clean and reliable 168 hp jet fuel Austro AE300 engines, Garmin G1000 NXi avionics with three-axis automatic flight control system and optional electrically driven air conditioning.

Diamond Aircraft's flight simulation devices are exact replicas of the real Diamond aircraft, built with authentic aircraft parts, with real avionics, high-end visuals and OEM flight dynamic models. The instrument panel is fitted with the original Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite and standby instruments, allowing training in a completely realistic environment.

Delivery of the DA42-VI training aircraft is expected for 2024, with four being placed at Grenchen, Switzerland and three at Rostock-Laage, Germany. In addition, LAT's Rostock-Laage location will receive one of the brand-new DA42 flight navigation procedures trainers. The other two Diamond Aircraft FNPT II simulators are for Zurich, Switzerland.