Maintenance firm Lufthansa Technik has formally opened a new Italian servicing base at Milan Malpensa Airport.

The Lufthansa Technik Milan operation - which builds on the component servicing facility set up two years ago - aims to handle Airbus A330, A340 and A320-family aircraft as well as Boeing 737s.

It will offer A-checks, aircraft-on-ground support and component servicing. The centre employs 30 personnel but plans to expand this to more than 160 as a result of the increased capability.

"In case of an adequate market demand [the station] will also extend its services to other aircraft types," says the company, which has leased a hangar with room for four narrowbody aircraft.

Lufthansa started operating a new airline division, Lufthansa Italia, from Milan earlier this year. The carrier uses A320-family jets.

"All airlines operating in Malpensa will have the opportunity to choose the know-how of Lufthansa Technik for the maintenance of their aircraft," says Malpensa Airport operator SEA's chairman Giuseppe Bonomi.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news