Aircraft servicing company seen as "success story"

Lufthansa Technik Malta yesterday marked its 100th C-check since it started operating in January 2003 - another indication that the company was a "true success story" in the words of Investment, Industry and IT Minister Austin Gatt.

The maintenance joint venture was, indeed, ahead of schedule and had not estimated it would reach the 100th C-check before the end of the year, the company said.

A C-check, or service, is carried out on an aircraft every 15-18 months and involves corrosion prevention programmes, the checking of engines and hydraulics, as well as the modification of cabin interiors to improve them.

The 100th C-check was being carried out on the aircraft EC-IPI, an Airbus A320-200 of Spanair, which returns to routine operation tomorrow after a four-day stop at Malta.

Lufthansa Technik focuses on C-checks of Boeing 737s, as well as the Airbus A320 family.

Lufthansa, the main customer, has so far sent 63 jetliners to undergo C-checks in Malta.

In the coming months, Lufthansa Technik intends to increase its efforts to attract more customers to Malta, as well as extending its portfolio especially for Boeing operators of the 737NG series, the company said.

Lufthansa Technik Malta has 118 employees, only two of whom are not Maltese. The high quality and turnaround times of their work were considered to be "outstanding, in line with the company's high expectations," Lufthansa Technik said.

Dr Gatt, who visited the hangar yesterday, highlighted the competence of the Maltese and their capacity to take on new challenges, adding that the challenge for Malta was to "produce enough people to fill the jobs required".