MaltaMedia.com

On Saturday afternoon Lufthansa Technik Malta inaugurated an Airbus wide-body aircraft overhaul facility with two bays with an overall investment of 60 million euros.Thanks to this new facility, Lufthansa Technik Malta will be able to accommodate two wide-body aircraft simultaneously to overhaul Airbuses A330s and A340s. The new hangar will also have a number of workshops to support the facility.

During the inauguration, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said that this investment was a step towards achieving excellence in high value added manufacturing. He added that the government believes that Malta has the potential and capacity to become a regional hub and centre of excellence in a number of sectors by 2015.

He added that this was also a vote of confidence in the Maltese workforce which built this facility. He said that “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.

The prime minister continued by saying “What started back in 2002 as 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.”

“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 just 100 workers was now a multi-million investment with a workforce of around 400 and which was expected to reach 700 by the end of 2010.

The prime minister continued by saying that “throughout the past year, 7000 jobs were created. This is to be considered an impressive achievement when placed within the context of the global economic downturn. Even in these turbulent times, our economy is well-placed to continue generating new employment opportunities. It is my Government’s priority to not only safeguard employment but more importantly to continue creating the right environment for further job creation.”

Towards the end of his speech the prime minister praised the success of MCAST which had lately achieved international certification in this sector. He added that MCAST is an essential pillar together with the rest of our educational system in Malta’s continued development.

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.