Vodochody, May 11, 2023 – The tenth day of May will go down in the modern history of the state enterprise LOM PRAHA. In the hall number 120 of the joint stock company AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE the serial production of subsonic trainer aircraft Aero L-39NG for the Flight Training Centre LOM PRAHA s.p. was inaugurated.
“This order is very important for Aero in terms of export potential and operational information gathering. The references of the Czech customer and mutual consultations are an important platform for possible further progress in this project,” says Viktor Sotona, CEO and President of AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE.
LOM PRAHA CEO Jiří Protiva adds: “With the re-equipment of the LOM PRAHA Flight Training Centre, we are not changing the training platform at Albatros, on the contrary, we are giving it a higher quality. We will continue to use Czech aircraft for training pilots of the Czech Army and foreign military air forces. And this is a unique national capability in linking aircraft production and training capabilities.”
The first L-39NG for LOM PRAHA will be an aircraft with serial number 7029. Executive Vice President and Chief Industrial Officer Jan Čáp presented the largest part of this aircraft to date and other parts that are already ready for assembly. By signing this component, Viktor Sotona and Jiří Protiva symbolically started the serial production of the L-39NG aircraft for LOM PRAHA.
The key reason for the acquisition of the L-39NG is to ensure the continuity of training of tactical air force pilots on subsonic Albatros jets. The existing L-39C aircraft, which have been operated by the LOM PRAHA Air Training Centre for nineteen years, are reaching the end of their technical life.
The contract for the delivery of four new L-39NG aircraft for basic and advanced training of pilots of the Czech Air Force, with an option for four more aircraft, was signed last November by the top representatives of both institutions – the President and CEO of AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE, Viktor Sotona, and the Director of LOM PRAHA s.p., Jiří Protiva. The contract for the first Czech customer includes, among other things, initial training of pilots and ground staff, special and high-altitude equipment, ground equipment, including an initial set of spare parts, as well as after-sales support for this new training platform.
