German maintenance firm Lufthansa Technik and manufacturer MTU Aero Engines are to establish their new geared-turbofan venture in Poland, branding it as Engine Maintenance Europe.
The two sides had previously disclosed plans to set up an equally-owned venture concentrating on servicing Pratt & Whitney PW1000G powerplants.
Lufthansa Technik has not specifically identified a Polish site for the venture – which will be known as EME Aero and operational in 2020 – but both it and MTU have operations in the Central European country.
"The new joint venture is the second big move in stepping up [Lufthansa Technik's] activities in Poland," says the maintenance company.
EME Aero will be able to handle over 400 shop visits for geared turbofans, which power aircraft including the Airbus A320neo.
It will have a workforce of some 800 personnel and the two shareholders will invest some €150 million in the venture by 2020. Lufthansa Technik's Derrick Siebert will lead the company while MTU's Uwe Zachau will serve as chief operating officer.
Siebert says the effort to establish the company in the "short" timeframe is a "big challenge". Zachau adds: "Over the coming two years, we’ll have to tackle an ambitious ramp-up plan for our joint shop."
Source: Cirium Dashboard
