Almost two years after the roll-out of the first prototype (Militär Aktuell reported), the Czech authorities have now certified the L-39NG from Aero Vodochody in accordance with the EMAR-21 standard for the EU and NATO.
On the one hand, this confirms that the trainer meets all safety requirements. On the other hand, the Aero shoot is now officially approved for operation in the international airspace – a basic requirement for delivery to potential customers. Incidentally, this could still include Austria. It has been officially announced that there will be no direct successor to the army’s ageing Saab-105Ö. However, Aero Vodochody still has high hopes and argues with low operating costs and manageable acquisition costs. At around ten million euros per aircraft, these would be significantly lower than the prices of potential competitor models.
To date, Aero has carried out around 300 test flights with the L-39NG using two flying prototypes and extensive ground tests with two static prototypes. The entire development took a good ten years and, according to Aero Vodochody, has now cost more than two billion Czech crowns (just under 80 million euros). The manufacturer wants to make the aircraft an icon similar to the L-39 Albatros, which is rightly regarded as the most successful jet trainer in the world. Since the end of the 1960s, Aero in Odolena Vody has produced over 3,000 Albatros aircraft, of which around 650 are still flying worldwide.
“The certification is a great confirmation of our work and for the entire Czech aviation industry,” said Jiří Podpěra, President of Omnipol, a strategic partner of Aero Vodochody. Dieter John, too, President and CEO of Aero Vodochody expressed his satisfaction: “The L-39NG is a completely new aircraft that meets all current and future requirements for modern pilot training at very competitive operating costs. With the certification we now fulfill an important requirement for future orders. My sincere thanks go to all employees, suppliers and partners for their professional efforts and excellent cooperation.”
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