Press release |
3 December 2021
Sabena Aerospace expands and acquires several line maintenance activities from Lufthansa Technik
Back to all postsBrussels, 03/12/2021. Belgian company Sabena Aerospace is taking over Lufthansa Technik’s Belgian maintenance company, Lufthansa Technik Brussels NV and Lufthansa Technik’s line maintenance business for customers outside Germany, LTMI. Alongside the Brussels maintenance site, the acquisition includes LTMI’s German headquarters in Frankfurt and its operations in Amsterdam (Netherlands), Palma (Spain) Johannesburg/Kapstadt (South Africa), Tel Aviv (Israel) and Kigali (Ruanda). The transaction also foresees a cooperation agreement between Sabena Aerospace and Lufthansa Technik regarding possible line maintenance services at other locations worldwide.
In 2019, by bringing Sabca and Sabena Aerospace together within the Blueberry holding company, the foundations for the first sustainable aerospace ecosystem in Belgium were laid. Both companies have since joined forces to build a strong aerospace industry in Belgium. This joint approach gives the companies access to new market segments, financing and more competitive purchasing conditions. The ecosystem is now being expanded with a number of key companies known for their aircraft maintenance.
LTMI and its international operations in Europe and Africa, as well as Lufthansa Technik Brussels, specialise in aircraft maintenance services of short and long-haul aircraft like the Airbus A320 family, A330/A340 and various Boeing series. Additionally, they offer light engine services, as well as carrying out structural work, engine and landing gear replacements, logistics services and modifications.
“The acquisition of the Lufthansa Technik subsidiaries is in line with our strategy and in line with the activities of Sabena Aerospace,” said Stéphane Burton, CEO of the group. “With this acquisition, we are further expanding the division of maintenance activities and increasing our international network, adding extra convenience and services to our new and existing customers. We are closer through the network and can offer combined know-how and expertise. In addition, our 24/7 intervention team active around the world is growing significantly.”
“We are happy that we were able to find a sustainable opportunity for our activities and our 215 affected employees with the sale of LTMI and Lufthansa Technik Brussels to our Belgian partners,” said Marcus Motschenbacher, Vice President & CCO Aircraft Maintenance Services of Lufthansa Technik. “Alongside Sabena Aerospace and Sabca, the group has successfully positioned itself in the highly competitive maintenance business in recent years and has the necessary expertise to offer more development possibilities for the companies and its employees.”
In a few months, the employees of LTMI and Lufthansa Technik Brussels will all be part of the Sabena Aerospace family, in which they will continue to function autonomously. There will be room for internal mobility within the group to make the careers of all employees more attractive, as well as dialogue on how to improve the processes and organisation of all companies within the group.
“We are very pleased that we will soon be able to count on the expertise of all these people,” added Stéphane Burton. “As the air traffic should be picking up, the demand for specialised and experienced colleagues will also increase again. With this transaction, we will now have 1,500 employees, of which more than 300 will be dedicated to the line maintenance business, which should enable us to meet the growing demand. For some of them, this will be a great reunion. They know each other from their time at Sabena, before going on to work for Sabena Aerospace or Lufthansa Technik. I’m expecting a lot of anecdotes.”
The operation should be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2022, once all legal and operational conditions have been approved.
About Sabena Aerospace
Sabena Aerospace is an independent Belgian MRO provider operating at international level, offering maintenance and operational solutions for both civil and military aircraft. The activities of Sabena Aerospace are structured into 4 Business Units: Engineering & Training, Operational Support, Components and Defense. Sabena Aerospace employs over 400 people and develops its activities from its historic headquarters at Brussels Airport, thanks to its facilities in 9 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Tanzania, Congo RDC, Congo Brazzaville, Zimbabwe & Mauritania). Its international commercial motto perfectly summarizes the company’s strategy: “Keep on Flying, We Take Care”. For more information: www.sabena-aerospace.com
About Lufthansa Technik
With some 35 subsidiaries and affiliates, the Lufthansa Technik Group is one of the leading providers of technical aircraft services in the world. Certified internationally for maintenance, production and design organization, the company has a workforce of about 22,000 employees. Lufthansa Technik’s portfolio covers the entire range of services for commercial and VIP/special mission aircraft, engines, components and landing gear in the areas of digital fleet support, maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification, completion and conversion, as well as the manufacture of innovative cabin products.