How many M.B.326s did Alitalia buy?

Short answer

Four. Alitalia ordered four MB-326s in trainer configuration, designated the "D" version, expressly demilitarized and fitted with specialized instrumentation; the first arrived in May 1963 for the airline's pilot school at Brindisi, ahead of the new generation of passenger jets.

Published: October 31, 2026 · Updated: October 31, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Australian Aermacchi MB-326

Four demilitarized "D" models

Alitalia ordered four MB-326s in trainer configuration, designated the "D" version. These were not military aircraft in civilian paint: they were delivered expressly demilitarized and fitted with specialized instrumentation, intended to train the airline's pilots ahead of the new generation of passenger jets the carrier was acquiring. The first of the Italian flag carrier's four MB-326Ds arrived in May 1963 and joined the pilot school Alitalia operated at Brindisi. All four aircraft served in that trainer role.

From private venture to Italian trainer

What would become the MB-326 began as a private venture by Macchi, developed by a team led by Italian aeronautical engineer Ermanno Bazzocchi, the company's technical director and chief engineer. On December 10, 1957, the first prototype made its maiden flight, with Macchi's chief test pilot Guido Carestiato at the controls. Italy developed this trainer during the recovery that followed the Second World War, at a time when the country was not in a position to prioritize the funding needed to develop high-end combat aircraft on its own.

A trainer with much bigger customers

Alitalia's four aircraft were a small order within the type's career. The MB-326's largest export customer was Brazil, which in 1970 ordered two prototypes and 166 MB-326GCs, designated there AT-26 Xavante. Production then moved to being carried out under license by Embraer, which added six aircraft for Togo and another ten for Paraguay.