Lufthansa Technik (LHT) says the North American MRO market is growing 7% per year and its ambition is to grow “beyond this number,” says Georgios Ouzounidis, LHT VP Sales Americas.
To accomplish this, the company is evaluating additional component, engine and base maintenance services. Ouzounidis says Lufthansa Technik could grow its North American presence organically, through acquisition or a combination of the two.
In particular, he sees four solid prospects.
Given that North America is the largest Boeing 737 market, the first two are expanding its component and engine MRO services for that narrowbody—particularly building up capabilities for the CFM56-7B this year. Adding Leap-1B MRO service in 2023 or in 2024 is another possibility. “For the Leap-1B, our objective is to be close to our customers. That’s key for us,” says Ouzounidis. The additional engine capabilities will likely be hospital visits or mobile services, as opposed to building a full engine shop.
Given that Lufthansa Technik is considering selling a minority stake in its business, with an announcement coming as early as mid-year 2023, large investment decisions could have to wait until the Lufthansa group makes that decision. LHT CEO Soeren Stark said the company is looking for a second shareholder with “complimentary capabilities.”
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