Lufthansa Technik Eyes large MRO facility In Portugal, says CEO

Frankfurt: The CEO of Lufthansa Group has disclosed more details about Lufthansa Technik’s (LHT) plans to build a new facility in southwest Europe.

LHT is set to expand its already significant international aftermarket presence by establishing a unit in Lisbon, Portugal, Carsten Spohr said Sept. 30. “Our backup will be Spain,” he added.

At a company event, Spohr told journalists that in southern Europe, LHT can find the staff it needs, “which we gradually cannot find anymore in Hamburg,” he said, referring to LHT’s home base. “Finding employees in southern Europe will be easier.”

Spohr said Lufthansa Group airlines had added 10,000 new employees in 2024, noting the company had received some 250,000 applications. However, “our service providers can no longer find employees anymore,” he said.

A LHT spokesperson confirmed to Aviation Week plans for the new southern Europe site in early September without disclosing the proposed location. “It will not deal with complete aircraft, but with the MRO of individual components of aircraft and engines,” the spokesperson said at the time.

Lufthansa Group has also shown interest in the Portuguese market on the airline side, following up its investment in Italy’s ITA Airways by expressing interest in the privatization of TAP Air Portugal.

LHT’s European base maintenance portfolio outside Germany already includes Lufthansa Technik Sofia in Bulgaria, Lufthansa Technik Malta and Lufthansa Technik Budapest in Hungary. LHT Hamburg specializes in base maintenance for VIP, governmental and special-mission aircraft.

Lisbon is currently home to TAP M&E, which offers a variety of MRO services including component repair and overhaul, continuing airworthiness management, engineering services, technical laboratories and training.

Another MRO in Lisbon is Embraer subsidiary OGMA, which opened a new engine maintenance facility dedicated to Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines in July. OGMA offers MRO services for commercial, defense and executive jet customers, including airframe maintenance, components, aircraft painting, manufacturing and engineering capabilities.