Lufthansa Technik, the aircraft maintenance company based at the Malta International Airport, expects to start its second maintenance line by October, CEO Louis Giordemaina said yesterday.

An additional investment of e3

million is being made, he said.

Speaking during a visit to the company’s hangars by a delegation from the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, Mr Giordemaina explained that Lufthansa Technik expected to increase its workforce from 124 to 200 by the end of the year.

At present, he said, 60 apprentices from MCAST are working with the company.

Lufthansa Technik is fully booked for its first line until the end of the year, said Mr Giordemaina, adding that last year’s results show that 50 per cent of their business had come from third party airlines. This, he said, shows that the company is greatly diversifying its operations.

The company is also negotiating with various airlines and Mr Giordemaina expects a number of them to be in Malta this year. These include airlines from Italy, Spain and the Middle East. Those already working with the company including Brussels Air, Neos and Wizz, a low-cost Polish airline.

UHM secretary-general Gejtu Vella told the media that the union was planning to visit several places of work as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations. He said success depended on attracting quality investment like Lufthansa Technik to the island.

He was impressed by the quality of the employees’ workmanship, he said, and the fact there were four females with the company showed that engineering was not a male-only job.

Mr Giordemaina thanked the union for agreeing to visit the company, adding that although Lufthansa Technik operated in a highly competitive market, the company was growing and expected to continue achieving good results in the long term.

Lufthansa Technik was set up in 2002 and recently completed work on the 180th aircraft to visit its maintenance operation.