Press release | 1 June 2022

Orizio takes off! The Belgian aerospace ecosystem is exploring new horizons

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Diversification in Industry and Technology, Ecological Transition and Personal Development. The Belgian Blueberry aerospace ecosystem is evolving and becoming broader. It will become Orizio. The Group is strengthening its position and supports the ambitions of its subsidiaries in a continuously changing market. Orizio has clear objectives: to become the most important strategic industrial and engineering partner for the aerospace industry (civil aviation, defence, space travel and drones), both in relation to maintenance and engineering and in the area of design, production and innovation.

Brussels, 1 June 2022 – Aviation had to deal with a very difficult period the last two years even though this has not stopped the Belgian Group from continuing with the development of its activities in relation to industry and engineering within the aerospace ecosystem. The takeovers of Lufthansa Technik Brussels and Lufthansa Technik Maintenance International are milestones in the evolution of the activities of the Group and opens up new horizons.

Sabena Aerospace will become Sabena Engineering

On 1 June 2022, Lufthansa Technik Brussels NV (the Belgian subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik) and Lufthansa Technik Maintenance International GmbH (the subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik responsible for the maintenance of the lines for customers outside Germany) are joining the Orizio Group. By bringing together all Maintenance & Engineering activities of Sabena Aerospace, Sabca MRO (Charleroi) and LHT Brussels/LHT Maintenance International, the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) division of the Orizio Group will operate under one single banner as from now: Sabena Engineering.

This takeover means that the Group will be expanding its activities in relation to maintenance and engineering with a team of 900 employees distributed over 15 countries. This results in an immediate broadening of services to its commercial (passengers and cargo transport), government and defence customers.

Sabena Engineering represents a total package of services that is aligned with the specific requirements of the customer and includes the management of the entire life cycle of an aircraft. The diversity of the Sabena Engineering activities also offers very many possibilities for career and personal development for its current staff and future employees. In parallel with this takeover, Sabena Engineering is launching new investments to contribute towards the required ecological switch of the aviation industry. The company, for example, was awarded, together with its partner Comet, the tender for the R&D project for the disassembly of aircraft and the recycling of aviation materials in the Walloon Region.

Sabena Engineering’s ambition is clear. The company wants to be an important player on the international market by offering partners and customers high-quality and ecologically responsible Maintenance & Engineering services.

Orizio is also committed to the development of its most important subsidiary: Sabca. Since it was integrated into the Group, Sabca has continued with its strategy as a designer and integrator of complex aircraft structures and systems for aerospace markets. Sabca recently managed to be awarded another important contract for long-term partner Airbus and therefore confirmed its role within this ecosystem. In parallel with the further automation and digitisation of the design and production phases, Sabca is investing in numerous research and development projects to promote the ecological transition of the aviation industry. Sabca’s strategy to use innovations for space travel for the aviation market is already paying dividends within this context. At the same time, considerable investments are being made in customer satisfaction to ensure it meets the continuously higher requirements of a market where being competitive and strict deadlines are essential. As an authority in the design and production of aerospace components, Sabca also continues to focus on the development of industrial drones and related systems.

To conclude, Orizio will be launching the first initiatives before the end of 2022 within the framework of the “Orizio Academy”. In partnership with various partners, this training centre will guarantee technical training courses and tailor-made programmes for the personal development of employees from the Group. The development of the academy was announced halfway through 2020, but has been provisionally deferred due to the health restrictions during the COVID crisis. As from September 2022, however, it will take shape completely to ensure it is in full flow during the course of 2023.

Stéphane Burton, Orizio Group CEO: “The takeovers and further development of Sabena Engineering and Sabca strengthen our expertise and consolidate our international presence with industrial infrastructures in Belgium and abroad. They are perfectly aligned with the strategy of our Group to develop an international and innovative ecosystem for aerospace that offers sustainable Belgian solutions. We want Belgium to play a key role in the development of an economically, socially and ecologically responsible global aviation industry. We have fantastic advantages and Orizio will use its leverage to strengthen the position of its current and future subsidiaries as important players on their respective markets.

Under the “enabling the aerospace ecosystem” motto, the Orizio Group will set itself up as a broker for its subsidiaries so that they can receive support from a strong ecosystem in relation to activities in innumerable sectors of the international aerospace market.

About Sabena Engineering

Sabena Engineering is an international MRO provider offering sustainable maintenance and engineering solutions to the Commercial Aviation and Government/Defense markets.

The activities of Sabena Engineering include Line & Base Maintenance; Aerostructure & Components Repair; CAMO & Engineering, Design & Manufacturing; Engine Services and a Maintenance Control Centre offering 24/7 support all around the world.

Sabena Engineering relies on nearly 100 years of experience and the expertise of more than 900 employees operating from 15 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to serve airlines, government and air forces worldwide. On-time reliability, agility, passion and an ever-growing aircraft expertise are part of Sabena Engineering’s commitment to customers, and are translated into the company’s stated promise: “Keep on Flying, We Take Care”.

Sabena Engineering is part of Orizio Group, a unique industrial ecosystem focusing on the sustainable development of the aerospace industry by uniting agile, forward looking and high-tech companies.

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About Orizio Group

Orizio Group is an international ecosystem focusing on the sustainable development of the aerospace industry by uniting agile, forward looking and high-tech companies. The group’s shareholders are Sabena Aerospace and Belgium’s Federal Holding and Investment Company (SFPI/FPIM).

Through its subsidiaries, Orizio is active in the design, development and manufacturing of aviation and space equipment, offers maintenance & engineering services for aircraft, has industrial activities in the UAV market and brings solutions to drive the sustainable development of the industry. In doing so, the group addresses its customers business needs from end-to-end.

The group’s activities bring together more than 1500 employees operating from numerous airports and industrial facilities across more than 15 different countries.