Lufthansa Technik’s Asia Pacific joint ventures are expanding in line with the region’s air transport growth. Ameco Beijing (Stand No. D78) is due to inaugurate the biggest maintenance hangar in Asia next month, Lufthansa Technik Philippines (Stand No. H65) has opened a second widebody hangar in Manila and Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen has added new capabilities.
Ameco, the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) joint venture between Air China and Lufthansa, opened in 1989 and is now the largest MRO provider in China. The partnership was renewed for 25 years in 2004 and the resulting investment program includes additional hangars, material repositories, component workshops and extended maintenance and engine repair services.
The hangar scheduled for opening next month will accommodate four Airbus A380s, and another new hangar should be ready for Boeing 747 and 767 work by the end of this year. The Ameco Aviation College is also expanding: a new 75,000-sq-ft building under construction will allow the college to provide training for 500 skilled aviation workers and type training courses for 1,200 technicians.
The Philippine operation’s second hangar will help the firm meet growing international demand for heavy checks on the Airbus A330 and A340. As well as providing full technical support for the growing fleet of Philippine Airlines, the MRO has done heavy checks for another 10 international airlines.
Founded in 2000 and 49 percent owned by Philippine MacroAsia, the Philippine facility opened its first production line for the long-range Airbuses in 2002 and added a second two years later. The new 91,000-sq-ft hangar will add a third.
The Shenzen facility has added the repair of hydraulic and pneumatic components to its existing services for CFM56-3 and -5C, CF6-80C2, PW4000 and V2500 thrust reversers and V2500 and CFM56-3 engine intakes. It also repairs radomes, flight controls and other structural components, and last year became part of the Airbus spares repair station network. Another new service is a component pool that is used by Shenzhen Airlines, Jade Cargo, East Star Airlines and Donghai Airlines.
Opened six years ago and now employing more than 150 people at Shenzhen Baoan, China’s fourth largest airport, the company is owned in partnership with Shenzhen Investment Holding (five percent) and Beijing Kailan Aviation Technology (10 percent). Its customer list includes airlines from Japan, Thailand, India and the Philippines, as well as China.
