The government and Lufthansa Technik Malta yesterday sealed an agreement for a e55 million investment, an expansion project that is expected to create 550 jobs over four or five years, as well as new training and development opportunities in aircraft maintenance.
In the project, Lufthansa Technik Malta, which was established in 2002, will be setting up new maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities for wide-body aircraft.
Lufthansa Technik Malta carries out C-Checks and modifications on the Boeing and Airbus narrow-body jets. Since it was set up, it has carried out over 230 C-Checks. The new facilities will now also cater for D-Checks, more commonly referred to as overhauls on wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A330, A340 and A380.
Work on the new hangar facility is expected to start soon and should be completed by October 2008.
The facility will be built over 27,000 square metres with a 270-metre span. It will include a number of back shops and will be able to accommodate two wide-body aircraft and two narrow-body aircraft simultaneously.
Speaking after the signing of the agreement at the Mediterranean Conference Centre yesterday, Invest-ment, Industry and Information Technology Minister Austin Gatt said the investment being made by Lufthansa was one of a long line of investments that the government had attracted to Malta last year – “the year when we broke all the records for foreign direct investment”.
“What we are witnessing today is a clear endorsement of our economic, industrial and educational policies,” said Dr Gatt.
This was not the opening of something new, the minister added. It was a landmark – a continuation of an established and successful relationship between Lufthansa and Malta that once again branded Malta as a top country for worldwide investors.
Senior vice-president of Lufthansa Technik’s Aircraft Base Maintenance Andreas Heizner, who is also a director of Lufthansa Technik Malta, said the signing of this formal agreement was the opening of a new chapter for the company’s base in Malta.
It was the start of the realisation of a vision that had been built on solid foundations with the aim of reaching greater heights, said Dr Heizner.
“In this regard, Malta has already established itself as a reliable maintenance, repair and overhaul centre through the performance it is delivering,” he said.
Dr Heizner thanked everybody who had supported the project and believed in its success, particularly the Association of Airline Engineers and the Union Haddiema Maqghudin, as well as Lufthansa Technik Malta’s staff, the Maltese government and the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST).
Lufthansa Technik Malta CEO Louis Giordimaina said: “Through this investment, Lufthansa Technik is not only contributing significantly towards Malta’s economic growth but it is also placing long-term commitment in the Maltese workforce.”
This had come about as a result of the performance of the company’s employees – who had risen to the various challenges, the ongoing satisfaction of the company’s customers and the achievement of corporate targets set by Lufthansa Technik Malta’s shareholders, said Mr Giordimaina, adding that there was, however, no room for complacency.
“This is a tough competitive market, with continually rising demands for efficiency, quality and value for money,” he said.
Lufthansa Technik Malta employs 160 full-time employees and has over 50 apprentices following courses at MCAST, which offers courses for those wishing to form part of the aircraft maintenance industry.
Earlier this year, over 50 students commenced courses that lead to Licence A certification examinations, while it is expected that other training programmes will be introduced in September.
The formal agreement was signed by Dr Heizner and Mr Giordimaina on behalf of Lufthansa Technik Malta and by Dr Alec Mizzi on behalf of the Government of Malta. The signing was presided over by Dr Gatt.