-
Maintenance, repair and overhaul services provider Lufthansa Technik Philippines formally opened its $40-million hangar in Pasay City after nearly two years of delay
-
Hangar 1A is a 9,000-square meter facility that adds three lines to the existing seven base maintenance lines in the capital region
-
It is expected to add 20% to LTP’s capacity
-
Hangar 1A will provide base maintenance for various short- to long-range commercial aircraft, including Airbus A320, A330, A380 jets, and Boeing 777 planes
Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) formally opened its US$40-million (P2.24 billion) new hangar in Pasay City after nearly two years of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inaugurated on August 19, the 9,000-square meter Hangar 1A added three lines to the seven base maintenance lines in the Metro Manila hub of the joint venture between Germany’s Lutfhansa Technik and Lucio Tan-led MacroAsia Corp. The facility is located at the MacroAsia Special Economic Zone in Villamor Air Base.
LTP broke ground for the hangar in November 2019, with completion slated for September 2020. But the rapid spread of COVID-19 from Wuhan in China in early 2020 grounded most commercial aircraft as global travel was restricted.
READ: Lufthansa Technik restarts building of $40M hangar
To stay in business, LTP delayed the project and shed nearly 600 of its 3,200 employees. The company said Hangar 1A should add 20% to its capacity and create at least 275 jobs for Filipino workers who are MRO experts.
“This milestone for LTP in our 22nd year in business is very special. It marks our transition from some of the most difficult times we’ve faced as a company due to the pandemic, to this phase of gradual recovery. This is concrete, tangible proof that we are seeing clearer skies ahead,” LTP president and chief executive Elmar Lutter said at the opening.
Hangar 1A will provide base maintenance for various short- to long-range commercial aircraft, including Airbus A320, A330, A380 jets, and Boeing 777 planes.
The new hangar is a replica of the existing Hangar 1, which services aircraft of various airlines, including the Philippine Airlines and international lines like British Airways, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, and Saudi Arabian Airlines.
“With the opening of Hangar1A, LTP is responding to a renewed demand for aircraft maintenance as travel picks up and planes around the world are no longer grounded. We are excited to provide our premium service to our clients and help ensure flight safety in the new normal,” LTP vice president for marketing and sales Rainer Janke said.
Strategically located at Manila’s main aerodrome, LTP’s new hangar has the capacity to service aircraft coming to and from major international hubs such as Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong.
A joint venture between Lufthansa Technik AG and MacroAsia Corporation, LTP is a globally certified provider of aircraft MRO services qualified by the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency, the United States Federal Aviation Administration and other airworthiness authorities from around the world.
It currently employs more than 2,600 Filipinos across its facilities in Manila, Clark in Pampanga, Cebu, Davao, Kalibo in Aklan, and Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
Established in 2000, LTP is 51% owned by Hamburg-based Lufthansa Technik and 49% by held by MacroAsia.
RELATED READ: Lufthansa Technik restarts building of $40M hangar
