Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday that Lufthansa Technik constituted more proof that Malta could be turned into a centre of excellence in manufacturing and services by 2015, as envisioned by the government.

He was speaking on a visit to the company's facilities in Luqa. Lufthansa is in the process of expanding its operations here and recently started building a new hangar. "Lufthansa is a success story which became possible because together we were able to meet the challenges and attract to Malta this investment which should lead to the creation of 550 jobs," Dr Gonzi said.

Dr Gonzi and Investments Minister Austin Gatt visited the site of the hangar, parts of which are expected to be ready by the end of the year. They also met workers and students who are following a course at Mcast, having completed the theoretical part of their course and are now being trained by the company.