Aviation News Item: 00022

18th Nov 2009

Source: flightglobal.com

Lufthansa Technik (LHT) and Oman Air signed a letter of intent at the show yesterday to form a maintenance joint venture at Muscat international airport.

The new company will operate from a new "state-of-the-art" hangar and provide support for Oman Air's growing fleet as well as those of other carriers based in the region. Due to become operational in 2012, the hangar will be capable of accommodating up to two widebodies and two narrowbodies simultaneously.

Employing 300 technicians, the facility will offer maintenance through to light C checks for Airbus A330s and Boeing 737s, as well as Embraer and ATR regional aircraft.

"We are strengthening a well-established co-operative relationship," says LHT executive board chairman August Wilhelm Henningsen.

"In future we will be able to offer technical services directly in Oman to customers in a region that is one of the growth markets of international aviation," he adds.

On the basis of the intended contract, LHT will overhaul 15 Oman Air 737s from January 2010 at its European facilities in Malta, Budapest and Sofia.

Muscat airport is being modernised and expanded to cope with increasing numbers of tourists visiting Oman.

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