Negotiations are ongoing between Lufthansa Technik, Malta Enterprise and Malta Industrial Parks for the company to further expand its MRO operation with an investment of approximately €16 million to set up a new hangar, a government statement read.

"In times of economic growth, such as we are experiencing now, we need to plan ahead for sustainable growth, and the aviation sector is part of this strategy. We want to transform Malta into a fully-fledged aviation centre that effectively supports all aviation-related services",  Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses Chris Cardona said during a visit at Lufthansa Technik. 

The local aviation cluster is thriving, government said, adding that the sector employs over 1,600 full-time employees, representing an increase of circa 6% over last year. "Today, this sector has expanded and offers a wide range of related services. Besides MROs, the cluster consists of many other sectors, and Malta Enterprise are always endeavoring to attract more operations in aircraft registration and operation (AOC), aircraft management and aeronautical engineering services, aircraft sales and charters, training schools and flight academies, repair and maintenance of helicopters, call centre, back office and shared services operations, management of technical documentation, as well as interiors, refitting and refurbishing."

"In building the required highly skilled workforce, Malta Enterprise continually collaborates with MCAST to come up with new courses of study to ensure that the industry is catered for. The MCAST Aviation Maintenance Training Centre is now offering several courses for technicians and engineers. Since 2015, fifty-two students graduated from MCAST in this sector," the statement added.