Marking a significant commitment of the company to its aviation maintenance business in the country.
Last August 6, MacroAsia Corporation (MAC), through its joint venture with Lufthansa Technik AG, Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) broke ground for its new base maintenance facility at Clark International Airport.
According to them, the new facility will rise on a 157,000-square-meter site and is scheduled to begin operations in 2028 and will serve their clients in tandem with the Lufthansa Technik operations at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which has been operating in the past 25 years.
This new facility will be designed for widebody aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of the likes of the Airbus A330, A340 and A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, with plans to allow the facility to support the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 plane types on the table.
It will also have a paint shop and workshops for non-destructive testing.
The company also disclosed that the project is expected to generate 1,200 jobs, with Lufthansa revealing that the investment costs “three-digit million dollars.”
Soeren Stark, CEO of Lufthansa Technik and Chairman of the Board of Lufthansa Technik Philippines, noted in an address that the company is “significantly expanding” its footprint across the Asia-Pacific region and around the globe.
“Given the future potential of the MRO market, building a second site in the Philippines is one of the consequences of our growth strategy. It is the right step at the right time – we are creating the capacity today that commercial airlines will need by tomorrow at the latest,” Stark added, noting that their new facility in Clark will play a crucial role in the aviation industry in Asia-Pacific and beyond.
“The growth and success of the company are never given, they require not only hard work and dedication but also business friendly environment and strong support from the government. We’ve been fortunate to experience both here in the Philippines for more than 25 years,” Stark also said.
Meanwhile, Holger Beck, President and CEO of Lufthansa Technik Philippines, added that this new facility is a “commitment to the next 25 years.”
“It reflects our confidence in the Philippines, in the talent of the Filipino people, and in the strong partnerships we have developed and nurtured over the last decades,” Beck added.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, meanwhile, said in a message delivered by DOTr Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports Jim Sydiongco: “Its clearest benefit to Filipinos will be opportunities it creates. Around 1,200 highly skilled jobs are expected to open over the coming years, giving Filipino engineers, technicians, and other aviation professionals the chance to receive specialized training and build lasting careers here at home.”
“The facility will also expand our capacity to maintain and service wide-body aircraft here in the Philippines. In doing so, it will strengthen Clark’s role as an aviation and airspace hub for the country,” the transport chief added.
