Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has established its first design centre in the USA to develop VIP interiors for local customers. The German maintenance company's Completion Center division has signed a joint venture with JetCenter Santa Barbara's holding group Yankee Pacific to establish the new Lufthansa Technik Completion Engineering facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Around 20 engineers will design VIP interiors for US customers for work to be carried out at LHT's Hamburg base. LHT says the move comes out of a need to be closer to its customers and addresses a shortage of design engineers in Germany.
The new venture, which is 51% owned by LHT, has been working since the beginning of March on its first project, a Boeing Business Jet interior. The design team aims to undertake around 10 projects a year.
Source: Flight International
