German aviation expertise for Mattala airport
View(s):SriLankan Airlines is currently in discussion with a German aviation engineering organisation, Lufthansa Technik to jointly establish maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services at Hambantota’s Mattala airport.
Lufthansa Technik AG is one of the world’s leading providers of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, the company’s website stated. This organisation is the Lufthansa German Airlines’ maintenance arm and is subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group.
The national carrier is in discussion to ensure they are equipped with the technological know-how as the organisation is engaged in offering airlines and other operators of commercial airlines from minor maintenance to complete overhauls from repair of defective components to comprehensive spare-parts logistics.
The joint venture with Lufthansa Technik will ensure the latter invests on MRO that would allow the state airline to conduct third party maintenance related work, Chief Marketing Officer G.T. Jayaseelan told the Business Times.
He pointed out that major overhauls require increased expert knowledge that would in effect be provided by Lufthansa Technik.
The company currently serves customers all over the world: airlines large and small, charter carriers, operators of VIP aircraft, airlines whose aircraft have to fly under extreme climatic conditions, or whose aircraft are subject to the strain of short-haul traffic with frequent takeoffs and landings, the organisation stated in its website.
SriLankan Airlines currently has an MRO facility at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), which is solely operated by the national carrier. It is engaged in working on smaller aircraft and a limited number of maintenance work. However, at the Mattala airport the carrier is looking at increasing its services in this sector and servicing more aircraft in the future.
Meanwhile, aviation officials observed that the national carrier and budget airline Mihin Lanka would operate once the airport opens in South on March 18 and by then the ground handling staff would be ready.
But it was noted that with the number of ceremonies and functions happening at the airport on the opening day it was unlikely there would be a flight taking off on that day. The official noted that the carrier would take off from the new airport only the day after.
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