Hangar Construction in Puerto Rico on Track

April 15, 2015
The construction for Lufthansa Technik's new facility in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico is on track.

The construction for Lufthansa Technik's new facility in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico is on track. Seven months after ground-breaking in August 2014 the hangar shell has been structurally completed, as well as the floor slab for the first and second bay, and most of the flooring of the workshops and offices. Currently the completion of the internal walls, air conditioning ductwork, electrical conduits and piping is on-going. The facility extends over a total area of 215,000 square feet.

"We are very happy with the progress of the overall project.

Recruitment and training are constantly on-going", says Elmar Lutter, CEO of Lufthansa Technik Puerto Rico, "a highly motivated team will meet the first aircraft and we are confident that the recently extended training school system will provide a basis for the growing aerospace cluster in Puerto Rico."

Lufthansa Technik Puerto Rico (LTPR) will be FAA Part 145 and EASA Part 145-approved. Initial customers will be Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft operators from the Americas. The first layover is planned for July 2015. A second line is planned to be operational in November 2015, followed by three more lines until early 2017 to include Boeing 737 by then.

About 400 highly qualified staff will work for LTPR. In addition to the theoretical training which is conducted in Puerto Rico by the Aviation Institute of Puerto Rico (AAIPR) in consultation with Lufthansa Technical Training the new staff is also undergoing extensive practical training in Lufthansa Technik's European facilities to ensure the same high quality level at the new facility.

The new hangar will handle five lines of heavy and overhaul checks (C-, IL- and D-checks), along with other maintenance work on narrow body aircraft. By using state-of-the-art technologies it is even possible to paint aircraft in the hangar while overhaul work is being conducted in parallel.

Thanks to the geographic location of Lufthansa Technik Puerto Rico in Aguadilla, on the west edge of Puerto Rico, it is within flying distance of all Airbus A320 family aircraft in the Americas. The facility will be well equipped to meet the future needs of the market in the region. On current forecasts demand for maintenance services, specifically for the Airbus A320 family, is expected to rise steadily over the coming years.

Lufthansa Technik:

The Lufthansa Technik Group, with more than 30 subsidiaries and about 26,000 employees worldwide, is one of the leading providers of services for the aviation industry. Lufthansa Technik is licensed internationally as a repair, production and development enterprise. The Group's portfolio encompasses the entire spectrum of services in the areas of maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification and conversion, engines and components.