The construction of a new facility, roughly 35 kilometers south of Porto, will further expand Lufthansa Technik’s capacities for the repair of engine parts and aircraft components in line with the company’s strategy.
The future plant of Lufthansa Technik Portugal is expected to be completed by the end of 2027 and will be equipped with the latest technologies in the MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) industry. The company will create more than 700 jobs which interested candidates can apply for as early as next year.
Lufthansa Technik recently acquired the 230,000 square meter property in the “Lusopark” business park in Santa Maria da Feira and acknowledged the signing of the purchase agreement together with representatives from politics and business in Portugal.
“A new chapter begins today for Lufthansa Technik: For the first time in the company’s history, we are building and opening our own location in Portugal. It is a great pleasure to have been welcomed with open arms here in Santa Maria da Feira,” says Harald Gloy, chief operating officer of Lufthansa Technik. “Lufthansa Technik is pursuing ambitious growth targets and we want to further expand our position as the global market leader in the MRO sector in the future. That is why we have already started to expand our capacities by adding strategically important locations to our global network, to ensure we will continue to best satisfy the expectations of our more than 800 international customers in the future.”
Teams from Lufthansa Technik worked for several months to find the ideal location for this multi-million euro investment.
“We are convinced that Santa Maria da Feira is the perfect choice. Great things will be created here – for the region, for Lufthansa Technik, and for our employees and customers. This investment is also a sign of the Lufthansa Group’s commitment to Portugal,” Gloy continued.
Cooperation with the Portuguese government, represented by the trade and investment agency AICEP (Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo de Portugal), and with the city of Santa Maria da Feira was extremely collaborative – both organisations provided Lufthansa Technik with strong support in an intensive process.
“This significant investment by Lufthansa Technik in Portugal, which creates more than 700 jobs, is highly welcome. It represents a further step toward the reindustrialization of our country and demonstrates the strong confidence in our national infrastructure and human capital, particularly in our highly skilled engineers and technicians in the aeronautics sector. It also shows that we are taking the right steps towards attracting foreign investments, which will help propel the growth of the Portuguese economy,” says Pedro Reis, the Portuguese minister of economy. “Portugal and Germany together, through strategic projects and alliances such as this, can certainly help Europe accelerate its sustainable growth towards a bolder future for our economies and companies.”
“We are delighted to welcome Lufthansa Technik in the municipality of Santa Maria da Feira,” added Amadeu Albergaria, mayor of Santa Maria da Feira. “This investment is also a commitment to the future of the region and the country, creating specialized jobs, strengthening the economic community, and adding value. We remain at your complete disposal to closely accompany this large-scale project, as we are convinced that it will be a driving force for the economic and social development of our entire region.”
Important criteria for the choice of location were Portugal’s position in the European Union and the stable political framework conditions. Equally as important was the good infrastructure and the attractive labour market in particular.
Lufthansa Technik will set up a training centre in Santa Maria da Feira in the coming year to train the future employees of Lufthansa Technik Portugal so that production can begin upon completion of the new 54,000 square meter facility.
The first jobs for the new location will be advertised online in the coming weeks. The positions being sought include mechanics, electronics technicians, engineers, process and human resources managers.
