Lufthansa is expanding its involvement in Malta at various levels. Its MRO subsidiary, Lufthansa Technik, is planning to provide maintenance services for long-range Airbus aircraft in Malta. Meanwhile, as part of a bilateral cooperation, Lufthansa and Air Malta will operate codeshare flights on several routes and also recognise the respective partner's frequent flyer programme.
Lufthansa Technik will set up new maintenance and overhaul capabilities in Malta for C-Checks and D-Checks on the Airbus A330/A340 (including the A340-600). The Supervisory Board of Lufthansa Technik has approved a multi-million euro investment in the bay infrastructure, as well as in tooling and ground equipment. Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Malta and Lufthansa Technik Malta, a joint venture with Air Malta, the hangar facility will be constructed by Malta Industrial Parks Ltd. and leased to Lufthansa Technik Malta. Pending approval of a new collective agreement by the local trade unions, the facility is due to be up and running as early as 2008. This additional investment will be undertaken by Lufthansa Technik, which will thus increase its stake in Lufthansa Technik Malta.
The success of this project depends upon the availability of trained personnel. Lufthansa Technik Malta is currently sponsoring training more than 50 apprentices at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, which is also investing in new courses to fulfil the growing demand from the industry.
"We must ensure that we have sufficient resources across our global network to meet the expected increase in demand for wide-body maintenance and overhaul services for Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft in the coming years," said Dr. Thomas Stüger, Chief Executive Product and Services, Lufthansa Technik AG. "Our decision today marks the beginning of a new era for Malta's aviation industry and we are looking forward to finalising our negotiations with our partners in Malta. With more than 500 additional employees, Lufthansa Technik Malta will also make a significant contribution to Malta's economic growth," he added.
Lufthansa Technik Malta was founded in 2002 and currently has 150 employees. A Centre of Excellence within the Lufthansa Technik Group, it focuses on C-Checks on short-range Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
Air Malta's flight from Malta to Munich tomorrow, 27 November 2006, also marks the launch of the partnership between Lufthansa and Air Malta. In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation signed by both airlines in February 2006, all 21 flights per week between Malta and Frankfurt and Munich will be operated on a codeshare basis with immediate effect. Both Lufthansa hubs will thus be connected to the EU's smallest member state by a daily nonstop flight. Moreover, members of the airlines' respective frequent flyer programmes can redeem miles on the partner's network.
Air Malta flies to 39 destinations in Europe, with particular emphasis on Germany, Italy and the UK. In Germany, in addition to Lufthansa's Frankfurt and Munich hubs, it serves Düsseldorf, Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne-Bonn. Air Malta offers a total of 25 flights per week between the Mediterranean archipelago and Germany, 14 of them to Frankfurt and Munich.
Lufthansa has been flying to Malta for more than 20 years. It currently operates a daily Airbus A321 service to the island.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Corporate Communications
