Lufthansa Technik Malta this afternoon inaugurated an Airbus wide-body aircraft overhaul facility with two bays.

With this new facility, it will be able to accommodate two wide-body aircraft simultaneously to overhaul Airbuses A330s and A340s.

The new hangar will also accommodate a number of workshops to support the facility.

Inaugurating the building, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said that this 60 million euro investment was a step towards achieving excellence in high value added manufacturing.

"What started back in 2002 as a collaboration between Air Malta and Lufthansa Technik to provide a high quality service is now becoming an important sector in Malta’s diverse economy and confirmation that Malta can achieve its ambitious targets."

Dr Gonzi said that apart from being a testimony to Malta’s foreign investment attractiveness Lufthansa’s presence was also a strong vote of confidence in the Maltese workforce.

"Malta’s flexible, highly-skilled and dedicated workforce has been and is one of the most determining factors why foreign investors choose Malta as an investment destination.

"Even for Lufthansa Technik, the work ethic of the Maltese workforce has been a crucial determinant in this expansion," he said adding that this was confirmed to him by the company’s directors when he visited Lufthansa Technik’s headquarters in Germany earlier this year.

He pointed out that what started off seven years ago as an operation consisting of a 100 workers was now a multi-million investment with a workforce reaching the 400 mark and which was expected to reach 700 by the end of 2010.

Lufthansa Technik's customers include Spanair, Eurocypria, NEOS, Windjet, WIZZ, SN Brussels, Livingston, Volareweb.com, Karthago Airlines, Blue Wings AG, Tui Nordic, Hellas Jet and Bulgaria Air.