The facility provides more than 12,000 square metres of production and office space on a 33,500-square-metre site. Diehl Aviation completed the project in less than one year and designed the facility to accommodate further expansion.
Around 75 employees will support the initial phase of operations. Diehl Aviation plans to expand the workforce to as many as 500 people over the medium term.
The Craiova plant will initially manufacture products already in serial production elsewhere in Diehl Aviation’s network. These include manually laminated composite cabin components, insulation blankets and tanks for aircraft water and waste systems.
Production will be transferred from existing sites together with established manufacturing processes, industrial expertise and quality standards. The Romanian operation will join Diehl Aviation’s existing production footprint in Germany, Hungary and Mexico.
The additional capacity is intended to support customer production ramp-ups and give Diehl Aviation greater flexibility across its international manufacturing network. The company operates as a Tier 1 supplier and systems integration partner for commercial aircraft cabin and aircraft systems.
Employees in Craiova began training in aerospace manufacturing, quality management and safety requirements in February. Diehl Aviation said the site will apply the same standards and processes used throughout its global manufacturing operations.
The company has fully electrified the building and production infrastructure, eliminating natural gas as an energy source. A rooftop photovoltaic system is also being installed to increase the share of renewable electricity used at the facility.
Diehl Aviation is also developing partnerships with universities and educational institutions in the region. The company intends to build local engineering and manufacturing expertise while supporting future recruitment as the plant expands.
The company also plans to develop relationships with local suppliers and service providers around the new operation. The facility was developed in cooperation with Global Vision, which provided local expertise during the project.
The inauguration was attended by employees, partners and representatives of German and Romanian public institutions. Attendees included German Ambassador to Romania Angela Ganninger, Craiova Mayor Lia-Olguta Vasilescu and Dolj County Council President Cosmin Dorin Casile.
Diehl Aviation CEO Jörg Schuler said the investment represented an important step in the company’s production expansion. “The opening of our Craiova facility marks an important milestone for Diehl Aviation.”
“I would like to thank the Romanian authorities, our partner Global Vision and everyone involved for their support throughout the project. The new facility expands our manufacturing capabilities and strengthens our ability to support customers worldwide with the quality, reliability and delivery performance they expect from Diehl Aviation.”
The Craiova investment adds another European manufacturing location to Diehl Aviation’s international production network. The company said the additional capacity will support its long-term growth strategy and future customer requirements.
