In an event held at Lufthansa Technik Malta in Hal Farruġ to commemorate twenty years of operation in Malta, Prime Minister Robert Abela noted the strength of the aviation sector, particularly in the field of aircraft maintenance and repair.
"Despite the challenges we face, as a result of our economic growth and other factors, we are looking forward to surpassing the pre-pandemic peak in the tourism sector", he said.
In the Lufthansa hangars, Abela pointed out the important work being done through campaigns such as the 'Choose Aviation' campaign run between Malta Enterprise and MCAST. He said that this sector does not simply create jobs but quality careers, noting how in Lufthansa Technik Malta, 85% of the workers are (close to 400 people) Maltese.
In a context that the aviation industry contributes around €600 million a year to the Maltese economy and employs around 5,000 jobs, the Prime Minister spoke about the need for sustainability even in the industry. Here, he linked the economic transition that Malta is working on, with an emphasis on quality and environmental priorities, with what the aviation industry is also looking at, including the Lufthansa company.
"Aviation is an economic niche that has been successful over the years and while we do not need to reinvent the wheel, we can work together with you to push towards the green core that continues to give added value to the economy and provide the best service to your customers," said Abela to the management of Lufthansa Technik Malta.
He thanked the company for the continuous investment, adding that the government looks forward to continuing to the creation of quality opportunities in collective work.
Abela welcomed the fact that soon the company will be working on the maintenance of B787 type airplanes which are equipped with technology that increases the efficiency in the use of fuel which significantly reduces emissions in the air.
"This is such a game changer for us, as we work to reach our common objective of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050", said the PM
In their addresses the Chairman of Lufthansa Technik Malta Alexander Feuersänger and the CEO of Lufthansa Technik Malta John Mahon spoke about how innovation continues to drive success in the field of aviation. They thanked the Government for the continuous support so that Lufthansa Technik Malta continued to attract the best airlines in the world to be of service to them.