MANILA: Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa is looking to build a second hangar in the Philippines, as part of its expansion plans in the South-East Asia region, said Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual on Thursday (March 14).
Pascual said the plan was discussed during a meeting between Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos and Lufthansa's managers in Berlin where Marcos was on a working visit.
The new hangar will be located at Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone, north of Manila, said Pascual, adding that the US$150-million-project, which will cover two hectares of leased land and accommodate at least two Airbus A380s, is set to be constructed in two years.
Lufthansa's first hangar in the Philippines, a 23-hectare technical base, was built in the 1980s at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.
The German carrier currently employs 2,800 mechanics, engineers, and support personnel in the Philippines, providing various services, from light to heavy maintenance checks to major modifications, cabin reconfiguration, and lease return checks.
Lufthansa also unveiled its plan to return the flights between Manila and Europe as part of its expansion plan in South-East Asia.
Anlee Do, Lufthansa's general manager for the region, said the company is also in the process of acquiring more aircraft to handle direct flights between Europe and the countries in South-East Asia.
"We appreciate Lufthansa's recent consideration of Manila as a destination for one of its direct flights from Europe to South-East Asia. It opens opportunities not only for tourism but also for other business services of Lufthansa that the Philippines can support," Pascual said. - Xinhua
