German maintenance firm Lufthansa Technik is planning to open a second line for VIP completion of large aircraft in Hamburg, to help cope with increased order books.
Lufthansa Technik has secured its first tentative contract for a Boeing 787 VIP completion, as well as an agreement for similar work on a second Boeing 747-8.
It has not disclosed the customers for either type. Several clients have ordered VIP versions of the aircraft. Boeing Business Jets alone has nine 787s and seven 747-8s on order, while Switzerland’s PrivatAir is taking two 787s.
The company also has agreements to outfit two Airbus A340s – to be delivered around 2010-11 – and two A330s for the German Government, and to provide the cabin interior for another pair of A330s for a different government.
Lufthansa Technik senior vice-president for marketing and sales Walter Heerdt says: “To meet the strong demand we are expanding our overall completion capabilities. We plan to provide an additional completion line for widebody aircraft in Hamburg.”
This second line is expected to be available from 2010, says the company.
Hamburg’s completion centre is also scheduled to outfit a series of narrowbody types including eight Airbus A318s, three Airbus Corporate Jetliners and three Boeing Business Jets by 2012.
Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news
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