Soon, PHL to service A380

Business Mirror
May 2, 2011
Recto Mercene / Reporter

The Philippines will soon be one of only four countries in the world to host a maintenance repair-and-overhaul (MRO) facility that can service the Airbus A380, the world’s largest commercial aircraft, with the groundbreaking over the weekend of a $30-million hangar.

Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP), a pioneer in aviation MRO, said it expects to boost its capacity in servicing the growing range of Airbus models that include the A320, the A330, the A340 and the A380, which is the world’s biggest and most technologically advanced commercial aircraft. “We are very proud of it because Manila becomes one of only four places in the world that could service very big aircraft like the Airbus 380,” says German Ambassador Weber-Lortsch.

Aside from Manila, the other MRO hangars that could handle the Airbus A1380 can be found in Paris, Dubai and Singapore.

Bernhard Krueger-Sprengel, LTP president and CEO, said the new hangar puts the Philippines on the map. “We are happy for the new hangar groundbreaking, and we are looking forward to have it ready to welcome the A380 next year,” he said.

He said the LHT board in Germany decided to expand its hangar area and buildup capacity for the A380 so that the Philippines can become a key location for A380 maintenance within its worldwide network. It also signifies the company’s long-term security for its 2,700 employees.

The new hangar is expected to create additional demand for 400 high-technology, high-skills jobs for Filipinos once it is onstream. It is expected to further enhance the Philippines position and presence on the global aviation map.

With an 8,448-square-meter footprint, the new hangar will rise east of the existing four-bay hangar of LTP at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Complex. Upon completion, the facility will be capable of accommodating one wide-body and two narrow-bodies or four narrow-bodies at any given time.

LTP said it would be built under the strictest structural codes and will observe stringent design codes for essential facilities.

LTP is a joint venture between Lufthansa Technik AG, 51 percent, and MacroAsia Corp., 49 percent, and is considered a prime example of a successful partnership between the Philippines and Germany.

Philippine Airlines spun off LTP in 2000 following months of rancorous debates between the carrier and the PAL Employees’ Association (Palea). Now a similar battle is going on between Pal and Palea, which is resisting the spinoff plans for ground-handling, catering and call-center reservations.

If anyone could learn a little lesson from the past, the LTP could be made a good example of a spun-off company that grew and prospered.