With a workforce of 600 and well over 500 checks and aircraft modifications under its belt, Lufthansa Technik Malta (LTM) has developed into an important pillar in the overhaul network of Lufthansa Technik AG in the ten years since it started in 2003. "We are proud of the way the company has developed over the years, but we are still developing," said Stephan Drewes, CEO of the subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik, on the occasion of the celebrations to mark the tenth anniversary of aircraft overhaul operations at Malta International Airport in Luqa.
"The structural work for the Lufthansa A320s and the cabin refurbishments for Brussels Airlines are good examples of this development. The short-term challenges that we face are the need to improve efficiency, reduce ground time and consolidate the winter program. According to Drewes, cooperation with government and authorities is running smoothly and "we are thinking how we can make still better use of existing capacity by making production more flexible."
Since a new hangar complex was opened in 2009, the joint venture between Lufthansa Technik and Air Malta (8 percent) has also been offering support services for long-range aircraft. As well as parallel working on up to three Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 narrowbody aircraft up to two widebodies in the Airbus A330/A340 family can be handled at the same time. In 2012 the company logged almost 750,000 labor hours for Lufthansa and numerous other international customers.
The service spectrum also covers structural work, the repair of composite materials, painting and extensive cabin modifications. In cooperation with the prestigious Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) LTM also trains aeronautical technical personnel in a dedicated Technical Training Center and takes on a large proportion of the graduates.
With over 60,000 square meters of hangar space at its disposal and given its strategically favorable situation in the southern European Mediterranean region, with its proximity to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, Lufthansa Technik Malta believes it is well positioned for the future. Stephan Drewes: "We will be able to continue to offer Lufthansa Technik's customers a competitive, quality product here in Malta in our second decade and beyond."
Lufthansa Technik
With over 30 subsidiaries and affiliated companies and more than 26,000 staff worldwide, the Lufthansa Technik Group is one of the world's leading independent providers of aircraft-related technical services. Lufthansa Technik's portfolio covers the entire service spectrum of maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification and conversion, engines and components for passenger aircraft.
