Lufthansa Technik Maintenance International (LTMI) and easyJet have signed a contract for extensive collaboration at London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

With a fleet of 55 aircraft, Gatwick is the largest base for the low-cost airline. As part of this five-year collaboration, Lufthansa Technik (as the Part 145 maintenance organization) will handle Light Base Maintenance (LBM) inputs and AOG hangar support for the Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft fleet as well as the A320neo in the future.

Brendan McConnellogue, easyJet’s Head of Maintenance, comments: “In addition to the hangar build itself, a tender was run to select a suitable partner to provide the maintenance services. easyJet’s existing partner in Milan Malpensa and Berlin Schoenefeld, Lufthansa Technik, were selected and a ground breaking five year contract has been signed which sees Lufthansa Technik opening their first UK hangar based operation. The on site team will deliver two inputs every night, seven days a week and provide AOG hangar support as required.”

Ulrich Hollerbach, Chief Executive Officer of LTMI, comments: “This partnership project builds on and continues the successful cooperation between easyJet and Lufthansa Technik over the past years. We are extremely proud that our offer was able to fulfill the service and business model expectations of one of Europe’s leading airlines. We are absolutely sure that we will deliver the same high quality at London Gatwick which easyJet already knows from our common activities in Milan Malpensa and Berlin Schoenefeld.”

Work for easyJet under the new contract commenced recently. Lufthansa Technik has a staff of about 60 mechanics on-site who executes two checks per night, seven days a week.