By Leithen Francis in Singapore
Lufthansa is planning to capitalise on the skills shortage in Asia’s aviation sector by offering training services in the region under the name Asianwings.
A statement from Singapore’s Intellectual Property Office says Lufthansa submitted in March a trademark application to register the name Asianwings in Singapore and that Lufthansa has had the name registered in Germany since August last year.
In its application Lufthansa says it plans to use Asianwings for “provision of training and instruction for flight personnel, flight attendants and airport ground personnel”.
The fact Lufthansa has registered the trademark in Singapore in no way implies that Lufthansa will establish Asianwings in Singapore because often companies register a trademark in multiple markets across Asia.
It also remains unclear which division of Lufthansa is behind the move to establish Asianwings because the trademark application only lists the applicant as Lufthansa. The address given is Lufthansa’s head office in Cologne.
Lufthansa Flight Training in Frankfurt says the business unit has no involvement in the project. Lufthansa’s Asia-Pacific regional office in Singapore also says it is not aware of the project.
Airlines in Asia have been expanding plus there is a plethora of start-ups, particularly in India and China, and this in turn has created a shortage of skilled airline personnel such as pilots and mechanics.
Source: Flight International
