Construction for Lufthansa Technik's new facility in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico on track

The construction for Lufthansa Technik’s new facility in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico is on track. Seven months after ground-breaking in August 2014 the hangar shell has been structurally completed, as well as the floor slab for the first and second bay, and most of the flooring of the workshops and offices. Currently the completion of the internal walls, air conditioning ductwork, electrical conduits and piping is on-going. The facility extends over a total area of 215,000 square feet. Lufthansa Technik Puerto Rico (LTPR) will be FAA Part 145 and EASA Part 145-approved. Initial customers will be Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft operators from the Americas. The first layover is planned for July 2015. A second line is planned to be operational in November 2015, followed by three more lines until early 2017 to include Boeing 737 by then. About 400 highly qualified staff will work for LTPR. In addition to the theoretical training which is conducted in Puerto Rico by the Aviation Institute of Puerto Rico (AAIPR) in consultation with Lufthansa Technical Training the new staff is also undergoing extensive practical training in Lufthansa Technik’s European facilities to ensure the same high quality level at the new facility. The new hangar will handle five lines of heavy and overhaul checks (C-, IL- and D-checks), along with other maintenance work on narrow body aircraft. By using state-of-the-art technologies it is even possible to paint aircraft in the hangar while overhaul work is being conducted in parallel.