We make flying more sustainable

As of 15 October, Joerg Speri (43) will take over as Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Technik Puerto Rico (LTPR) from Pat Foley (51). Mr. Speri held various Management positions in the Lufthansa Group, mainly outside Germany. His latest position was Senior Director of Network Sales & Customer Service at Aircraft Maintenance Services. He holds two Masters degrees in business and aviation management from Mid Sweden University (Sweden) and Massey University (New Zealand). Pat Foley is one of the founding fathers of LTPR and was in charge as CEO of LTPR for more than five years. He steered the company through demanding times. Mr. Foley will take on the newly created position as Head of Business Development The Americas for Aircraft Maintenance Services. 

The European Aviation Safety Agency,  EASA, approved the processes of Wizz Air to use the electronic Technical Logbook (eTLB) of AVIATAR in daily operations. In the three months since the fleet-wide roll-out on more than 140 aircraft registered in Hungary paperless operation proved to be stable with the new seamless digital pilot-to-maintenance collaboration application. The assumed reductions already materialize: calls in Wizz Air's Maintenance Control Center dropped by more than 25% proving the enourmous impact of the application in daily operational life of pilots and maintenance crews.

AVIATAR's Technical Logbook offers prefilled text blocks and automated input masks. This enables pilots to record  technical issues of the aircraft in real time, which are sychronized when an internet connection is available. It therefore reduces manual efforts by up to 50% and improves data quality as well as transparency. The new solution works with any hardware device (e.g. tablet, smartphone or desktop computer) and provides pilots with access to aircraft status anywhere and anytime. It also offers back-up processes in case of connectivity issues. Real-time data availability, directly connected with the M&E system (maintenance and engineering system), ensures maintenance on arrival and enables a seamless pilot-to-maintenance collaboration - leading to decreased turnaround times and costs. On average, thanks to the implementation of the Technical Logbook, closing time of defects can be halved.

For the airworthiness management of the aircraft the new Technical Logbook includes features, which ease the control of open defects and scheduled maintenance items. This prevents, for example, departures with overdue maintenance items, since the acceptance of the aircraft by the cockpit crew would be restricted. As a technical logbook is a core feature in airline operation the responsible authority needs to approve the associated processes. Hence, the processes of the AVIATAR Technical Logbook for Wizz Air's remaining aircraft based in the UK and UAE will be approved separately.

"Our assumptions prove to be true: With the introduction of the Technical Logbook we already experience data quality, reliabiliity and airworthiness control enhancement supporting our technical and operational performance. The seamless integration of AVIATAR with our MRO software and archiving application is also a quantum leap. All of this combined strongly supports our commitment to sustainability and Wizz Air being the greenest choice of air travel." said Diogo Reu, Head of Engineering and Maintenance at Wizz Air, who is the project lead for the Go Digital project of the airline.

"The EASA approval of the Technical Logbook in Hungary is a big milestone for AVIATAR. We already have the next countries and airlines in the approval process who will profit from a paperless cockpit and maintenance  processes," said Mona Stuenckel, Senior Director Digital Solutions Automation & Technology of AVIATAR at Lufthansa Technik.

Launched in 2017, AVIATAR is the independent platform for digital products and services developed by Lufthansa Technik. The platform offers its users digital products ranging from predictive maintenance to fulfilment and automated solutions. AVIATAR combines fleet management solutions, data science and engineering expertise to provide a comprehensive range of integrated digital services and products for airlines, MRO companies, OEMs and lessors that seamlessly integrate with physical fulfilment in TechOps and beyond.

About Wizz Air                                                                                            

Wizz Air, the fastest growing and most sustainable European ultra-low-cost airline, operates a fleet of 165 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. A team of dedicated aviation professionals delivers superior service and very low fares, making Wizz Air the preferred choice of 27.1 million passengers in the Financial Year F22 ending 31 March 2022. Wizz Air is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker WIZZ. In 2020 the company was named the Airline of the Year by ATW, the most coveted honour an airline or individual can receive, recognising individuals and organisations that have distinguished themselves through outstanding performance, innovation, and superior service and recently named one of the world's top ten safest airlines by airlineratings.com, the world's only safety and product rating agency.

Czech airline Smartwings and Lufthansa Technik have signed a five years comprehensive Total Component Support (TCS®) contract covering repair and overhaul of components for the airline's fleet of 30 Boeing 737NG aircraft. Support for the aircraft has already started.

Luděk Stašek, Technical Director of Smartwings, says: "We are very pleased that Lufthansa Technik supports us in component support for our 737NG fleet. We have worked together with Lufthansa Technik already in the past and are looking forward to further deepening this successful cooperation."

"We are happy to continue our partnership with Smartwings by supporting its 737NG fleet. By additionnally supporting these aircraft, Lufthansa Technik can further enhance the supply and logistics to ensure optimal material availability for Smartwings' overall fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft." says Ifezue Bertold Mordi,, Senior Sales Executive of Lufthansa Technik.

With the Total Component Support TCS® agreement, Smartwings benefits from an individual supply concept that enables short and rapid transport paths. The new contract includes component MRO services and pool access as well as component delivery to selected international airports within Europe.

Lufthansa Technik already provides comprehensive engine services for Smartwings' CFM56-7B powered Boeing 737NG-fleet as well as Total Components Support services for Smartwings' B737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Smartwings:

Smartwings is the biggest Czech air carrier belonging to Smartwings Group. Smartwings aircraft fly to more than 400 airports on four continents. Smartwings operates scheduled flights, charter flights, private flights of business jet category and ACMI leases. Apart from the Czech market, Smartwings is also present on the market in Slovakia, Poland and Hungary where the company has its subsidiary companies. Besides scheduled and charter flights, Smartwings also provides a wide range of special flights for renowned international companies, major humanitarian, and sports organizations worldwide. Smartwings is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is certified IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit), representing the most advanced standards of operational safety and quality in air transport.

Lufthansa Technik and the Mexican carrier mas - formerly known as MasAir- have signed a comprehensive Total Component Support (TCS®) contract covering repair and overhaul of components for mas´s Airbus A330F fleet. The new contract governs supply for up to eight aircraft over a period of eight years. This is the second contract as Lufthansa Technik already supports the Boeing 767F fleet with its TCS product. 

Luis Sierra, Chief Executive Officer of mas, said: "Our new A330 logistic network is a global network with destinations in Asia, Europe and America. To support our network, we need a global player in technical aircraft services whose experience and reliability we highly value. Lufthansa Technik already proves day by day to deliver first class services, which is required for our operation. This is especially important now that we are on an ambitious fleet expansion plan." 

"We are very pleased to continue our service for mas's A330F fleet. We are proud to be part of mas's journey because the Mexican market remains highly competitive," said Soeren Stark, Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Technik. 

With the A330F Total Component Support TCS® agreement, mas benefits from an individual supply concept that enables short and rapid transport paths. Component support of mas fleet will be ensured through an on-site stock to be established in Mexico City. The fleet will be supported by Lufthansa Technik's component pools located in North America and Europe. 

In a festive ceremony at the airport of Manila on August Lufthansa Technik Philippines recently officially opened a new hangar which supplements the existing seven maintenance lines by an additional three lines. The parking spaces of the new hangar can be configured according to need to provide room for four narrow-body aircraft, or one wide-body aircraft and two narrow-body aircraft. Alternatively, an Airbus A380 can also be accommodated. The completion of the 9,000 square meter hangar, which was initially planned for September 2020, had been delayed due to the Corona pandemic.

"This is a very special milestone for Lufthansa Technik Philippines in the 22nd year of our existence. It marks a transition from some of the most difficult times we have experienced as a company due to the pandemic to the current phase of noticeable recovery. This is concrete, tangible evidence that we see clearer skies ahead of us," says Elmar Lutter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Technik Philippines on the occasion of the opening ceremony.

The fourth hangar in total will increase the overhaul capacities by up to 20 percent and provide work for at least an additional 275 employees. "The opening of the new hangar is Lufthansa Technik Philippines' response to the increasing demand for aircraft maintenance, as travel continues to increase and a majority of the worldwide fleets are now back in operation. We are pleased to offer our customers first-class service and with reliable overhauls provide a valuable contribution to the stabilization of their flight operations," says Rainer Janke, Vice President for Marketing & Sales at Lufthansa Technik Philippines.

Following the ceremonial handover of the first aircraft in June at ILA Berlin, Lufthansa Technik AG today also delivered the second Airbus A321LR (Long Range) to the German Air Force with a transfer flight from Hamburg to Cologne-Bonn. Like its sister aircraft already in service with the tactical registration 15+10, the new 15+11 will now also be available to the German Air Force for troop transport and parliamentary flight operations on short-, medium- and long-haul routes. The respective capacity of each of the two aircraft in this configuration is 136 passengers.

During a small ceremony at Lufthansa Technik's base in Hamburg, all involved personnel had already officially bid farewell to the aircraft last Friday. Not only Lufthansa Technik's project team was invited to attend, but also, among others, the personnel involved from the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), the Bundeswehr Technical Center for Aircraft and Aeronautical Equipment (WTD 61) and the German Air Force, which had previously subjected the 15+11 to an intensive testing and acceptance program. With its completion, the first phase of the modification project is now finished.

In the coming year, however, both A321LRs will return to Lufthansa Technik to be modified and certified for MedEvac (Medical Evacuation) duties in the second phase of the project. This will expand the aircraft's range of operations to include capabilities for the qualified air transport of wounded, injured and diseased passengers. In this context, three different configurations will be available to transport up to six intensive care patients or up to twelve mildly or moderately ill/injured patients. To this end, Lufthansa Technik will deliver a total of twelve units and two reserve units of the Patient Transport Unit New Generation (German: Patiententransporteinheit Neuer Generation, short: PTE NG) to the German armed forces. The company was able to complete various preliminary work for the MedEvac mission, for example for the oxygen supply on board the two aircraft, already during the first phase of the project.

After one of the biggest aviation industry crises, Lufthansa Technik AG's apprentice training program this year has returned in terms of numbers to roughly where it was in 2020: 186 young people will begin their apprenticeship at the German locations of the company. Furthermore, a  total of 23 dual students were taken on, i.e. school graduates who combine their degree courses with practical applications.

"We need reinforcements for the decade ahead; mechanics and engineers for the production divisions, we need young staff members for logistics and also the commercial sector," says Barbara Koerner, Head of Training & Dual Studies at Lufthansa Technik. "We are competing with many other companies that are preparing for the changes brought about by the upcoming generation change and increasing digitization. The job market has changed a great deal: In a constantly evolving world, we increasingly find ourselves in the situation of no longer being able to choose but having to be chosen as an attractive employer. In this respect, vocational training of highly qualified workers remains one of our most important measures for securing the future."

In view of an increasingly tight HR market, Lufthansa Technik is using a number of new methods in addition to tried-and-tested measures in personnel marketing in order to reach young people who are suitable both personally and professionally: With new visual language and under the slogan "We are Aviationeers" in printed and online advertising formats as well as social channels, the company is also advertising for new employees in Hamburg and Frankfurt with campaigns in public transport and in fast-food restaurants. Presence at trade fairs will also be intensified again, as will cooperation projects with schools and universities.

Of the altogether 209 new training positions or places to study, 122 are directly attributable to Lufthansa Technik AG, 36 for the first time to the technical operations of Lufthansa Airlines, and the remainder to the companies of the Lufthansa Technik Group (see listing below). The percentage of women in this year is a good 14 percent. The inclusion of people with physical disabilities also remains a declared goal of the company: In Hamburg, two hearing-impaired people will start their training as tool mechanics this year.

This year, Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey (LTAA) has two occasions to celebrate: The wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik AG now counts 30 years of experience in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of CF34 engines – a type that mainly powers regional and business aircraft. In 1992, the first overhauled CF34-3 engines were redelivered in Alzey, the first engine type of the later CF34 series. The engine type has since then developed into a stable backbone in the service portfolio of the company:  The CF34-8 was introduced in 2002, and the CF34-10 in 2011.

As one of the world's leading providers of repair and overhaul services for this type of engine, the company has been complementing the network of engine manufacturer General Electric (GE) for 30 years. During this time, the employees of LTAA have managed close to 2,000 shop events and more than 200 customers.

"Congratulations to LTAA on 30 years of supporting the CF34 program," said Cristina Seda-Hoelle, General Manager, Regional and Business Aviation for GE Aviation. "Our commitment remains strong in the continued investment of the CF34 engine line to keep supporting our customers in the regional and business aviation space. LTAA's technical capabilities and proven support fit well with GE's mission to provide superior engine service."

In addition, LTAA`s employees can look forward to the expansion of their facilities: Due to the further growing demand, the construction of a new production building with 1,500 m² area is planned for mid-2023. This allows to create a production-related storage area for tools, modules and devices, which will enable four additional engine bays by repurposing hall space. It is also planned to hire more than 40 new employees with different specializations within the next two years.

"To have over 30 years of sustainable and innovative success with an engine requires a strong partner like GE on the one hand, and our excellently trained employees on the other," said Matthias Gruber, Managing Director of LTAA. "Their outstanding commitment as well as the cooperative partnership has allowed LTAA to shape and help develop the market over a long period of time. That is what makes me personally extremely proud of our company."

Dennis Kohr, currently "Head of Product Sales & Fulfillment Open Loop, EMEA", previously held several leading positions in Sales and Customer Service, also outside the Lufthansa Group. After joining Lufthansa Technik in 2006 as a project manager in Component Sales, his professional career led him to Jet Aviation, among others, first to Switzerland as Director Sales and Customer Support and later to Austria as Accountable Manager. After eight "non-Lufthansa" years, Dennis Kohr returned to Lufthansa Technik in 2018 as Head of Product Sales EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) in the Component division.

"I am looking forward to the exciting new task of further expanding Lufthansa Technik's market share in APAC together with my colleagues in the APAC sales team and in cooperation with all product segments, and to carry the "voice of the customer" from Asia to Hamburg. As local travel restrictions are further eased, the goal is to successfully position Lufthansa Technik in this trend-setting growth phase. On a personal level, I am also excited to get to know Lufthansa Technik even better in all its product diversity," says Dennis Kohr.

Dennis Kohr completes Lufthansa Technik's corporate sales senior leadership team, consisting of Kai-Stefan Roepke, who is responsible for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Georgios Ouzounidis, who is heading the sales activities for the Americas region.

AVIATAR, Lufthansa Technik's digital operations suite, now operates carbon-neutral. The Digital Fleet Services business segment has had this certified by standardized reporting and offsetting via the certified compensation platform SQUAKE. AVIATAR is thus a pioneer among digital tech ops platforms in the aviation industry as well as among Lufthansa Technik's business segments.

At AVIATAR, the achievement of carbon neutrality is based on two pillars. On the one hand, the emissions caused by the technical cloud and office infrastructure as well as by the employees were already massively reduced in the past years. While 152 metric tons of CO₂ equivalents were still emitted in 2019, this figure was almost halved in 2021, to just 77 metric tons. This corresponds to the average annual footprint of just seven people. The halving of emissions is all the more remarkable given the significant increase in the number of customers over the same period and a tripling of the number of aircraft serviced on the AVIATAR platform. AVIATAR will continue to vigorously pursue the goal of reducing its real emissions.

On the other hand, AVIATAR's carbon footprint is already neutral today, thanks to full financial compensation of the remaining emissions through a broad portfolio of social and environmental projects. These include, for example, the installation of wind turbines in India, reforestation of rainforest in Nicaragua, support for sustainable food production in Burundi, and the procurement of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The compensation of emissions is carried out in close cooperation with SQUAKE. The IT startup, a spin-off from the Lufthansa Group's Innovation Hub, automates the emissions accounting and enables AVIATAR to operate the calculated compensation exclusively via certified projects. This ensures that the emissions generated are offset in a complete, transparent and verifiable manner. In addition to the annual compensation of future emissions from now on, AVIATAR has decided to also compensate its emissions from the past three years (319 tons of CO2 equivalent) via SQUAKE.

"Of course, we are proud to be the pioneer among digital tech ops platforms in launching a carbon-neutral product," said Philip Mende, Vice President Digital Fleet Services at Lufthansa Technik. "But this is just the start for us. On the one hand, we will continue to drive forward the real reduction of emissions in our production in a targeted manner and firmly anchor the topic of sustainability in our product development. On the other hand, we intend to conduct further studies in the near future in order to precisely quantify the emission savings that AVIATAR enables for our customers, for example by avoiding technical diversions or by optimizing aircraft performance and flight operations. Here, we expect even more impressive figures."

CO₂ neutrality of its digital product segment is only the first step for Lufthansa Technik. In the four other business segments, too, the continuous reduction of emissions enjoys high priority. Although neutrality in the rather "classic" industrial segments is much more difficult to achieve than with digital products, Lufthansa Technik has set itself ambitious milestones here as well. By 2025, the CO₂ footprint of the entire company is to be reduced by 25% and the share of renewable energies is to increase to 50%. Further milestones exist for increasing the recycling rate (to 75%), improving resource efficiency (by 25%), and reducing the chemical footprint (by 25%). With an ever-increasing number of sustainability products, such as the Cyclean engine wash  system or the surface technology AeroSHARK, Lufthansa Technik also supports airlines around the world in achieving their sustainability goals.

About SQUAKE:
SQUAKE is a CO₂ compensation platform aimed at companies from the entire travel, mobility and transport industry. By using a special programming interface, companies can easily calculate and offset the CO₂ emissions of the services they offer. This makes it possible to develop sustainable products that are optimally tailored to the needs of their customers. SQUAKE is an independent spin-off of the Lufthansa Innovation Hub.