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Lufthansa signs deals with Emirates and Amiri Flights

DubaiTuesday, November 22, 2005

Lufthansa Technik, the aircraft maintenance, overhaul and services arm of Lufthansa Group, yesterday announced two deals, one with Dubai-based Emirates and the other with Abu Dhabi-based Amiri Flights on maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities.

The German company has also set up a representative office in Dubai for further expansion.

"We have just signed an MoU with the Abu Dhabi-based Amiri Flights to set up an MRO facility in Abu Dhabi," said August W. Henningsen, chairman of Lufthansa Technik.

"The details of the project have not been finalised yet. We will be working on it and the facility will be part of the New Abu Dhabi International Airport that is currently undergoing development."

This could be the company's largest capital investment in the country.

Emirates, meanwhile, signed a service contract for its Boeing 777 fleet with Hawker Pacific, a 100 per cent-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik.

The service contract entails the exchange, overhaul and support for the landing gear of Emirates' 21 Boeing 777-200s, 777-200ERs and 777-300 aircraft which operate with maximum takeoff weights of 545,000, 632,000 and 660,000 pounds respectively. The first exchange is due at the end of next month and the contract will run until 2013.

The multi-million dollar deal was signed at the Dubai Air Show yesterday.

Adel Al Redha, Emirates executive vice-president for Engineering and Operations, said: "At Emirates, our goal is to continuously enhance our operations in terms of cost-efficency, reliability and speed of technical services, which translates into overall better services to our customers."

In early 2005, Gulf Air signed a Total Component Support deal valued at more than $100 million.

The agreement includes a sale and lease-back of components as well as their MRO and the participation in Lufthansa Technik's vast component pool.

The service is offered for nine Boeing 767s, six Airbus A330s, nine Airbus A340s and ten Airbus A320s with services for more than 1,400 part numbers.

This is the first time that Lufthansa Technik will provide total component support and management to an airline in the Gulf.

Qatar Airways has signed two agreements one for the engine maintenance and overhaul of the airline's Airbus A320 fleet for the next ten years.

The second agreement will have Lufthansa Technik installing Rockwell Collins' Tailwind 560 for onboard live satellite television. Qatar Airways will become the first international airline offering its passengers live TV in the sky.

"We will further increase our involvement in the region here with technical services and knowledge transfer," said August W. Henningsen.

"I expect new impulses from Dubai 2005 especially since both the region's aircraft types and modern outlook match well with Lufthansa Technik`s product strategy and its technical expertise."

Total support
Largest capital investment in the country

• Emirates signed a service contract for its Boeing 777 fleet with Hawker Pacific, a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik.
  
• The service contract entails exchange, overhaul and support for the landing gear of Emirates' 21 Boeing 777-200s, 777-200ERs and 777-300 aircraft which operate with different maximum take-off weights of 545,000, 632,000 and 660,000 pounds respectively. The first exchange is due to take place at the end of next month and the contract will run until 2013.
  
• Lufthansa Group's aircraft maintenance, overhaul and services arm says its investment in New Abu Dhabi International Airport that is currently undergoing development, will be its largest capital investment in the country.

©Gulf News