Lufthansa Technik AG in Hamburg and Croatia Airlines are further expanding their cooperation. As of today, Croatia Airlines performs a substantial number of C-checks on Airbus A320 family aircraft on behalf of Lufthansa Technik. To achieve this, the technical arm of the renowned airline uses one of its overhaul lines at its facility in Zagreb.
The close cooperation between Croatia Airlines and Lufthansa Technik started as early as 1992. Today Lufthansa Technik provides the airline with Total Engine Support TES and Total Component Support TCS, as well as services covering Airframe Related Components (ARC) and landing gears. Lufthansa Technik had taken over the component support for the Bombardier Q400 fleet of the Croatian airline only recently. Croatia Airlines on the other hand has already performed C-checks for Lufthansa Technik for a while.
"With Croatia Airlines we have a renowned partner for C-checks, with whom we already enjoy a long-standing and very successful cooperation. We are glad to be able to expand our cooperation further. The excellent image of Croatia Airlines is based not least on its technical facility", said Dr. Thomas Stueger, Chief Executive Product and Services of Lufthansa Technik.
"We are proud to be a partner of Lufthansa Technik, the leader in the global MRO market", underlines Vanja Roller, Executive Vice President Maintenance and Engineering at Croatia Airlines. "Lufthansa Technik has always been one step ahead of the competition when it comes to the MRO business. In 1992 Croatia Airlines started the cooperation with Lufthansa Technik, when it was still a part of the airline, with the first Total Technical Support TTS contract. At that time the TTS was a premiere in aircraft maintenance and that set the trend that others followed in the MRO market. Lufthansa Technik was the first to understand the importance of a long-term partnership; this is a two-way street that becomes wider and longer every day, to the benefit of both sides. Croatia Airlines is small compared to Lufthansa Technik but small creeks make a river big. This cooperation is the recognition of Croatia Airlines' quality, safety and knowledge from the leader in the MRO market."
During a C-check the entire aircraft is subjected to comprehensive checks, among them very detailed functional and structural tests. Airbus A320 family aircraft are due for C-checks after about 18 months. Each aircraft requires somewhere between 1,500 and 2,800 man hours. In Europe Lufthansa Technik has currently performed C-checks mainly at its German locations as well as at Lufthansa Technik Malta.
