MANILA — Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) on Wednesday held a groundbreaking ceremony of a new hangar, to be called Hangar 1A, at its hub in Pasay City.

The creation of Hangar 1A would increase LTP’s capacity by 20 percent and would also result in employment of additional 300 technicians, LTP president Elmar Lutter said in a press briefing.

He said currently LTP could service seven aircrafts at the same time. 

With the new hangar, Lutter is expecting LTP could now accommodate 10 aircraft at a time.

“This (new hangar) has a multipurpose style, and could accommodate both small aircraft and wide-bodied aircraft,” he added.

Lutter said USD40 million was allotted for LTP’s expansion, adding construction of Hangar 1A started in September and is expected to be operational by the last quarter of 2020.

Meanwhile, Lutter said he likes the Filipinos’ work attitude.

He said even though Lufthansa is a German company, it is good to also have it in the Philippines because of the Filipinos’ “excellent English skills”.

Lufthansa is a known provider of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for aircraft.

In the Philippines, LTP’s clients include Philippine Airlines, British Airways, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, and Saudia Airlines.

The company does MRO of various aircraft, both by Airbus and Boeing. (PNA)