BIZ BUZZ: Building Lufthansa’s next PH home
Aircraft maintenance giant Lufthansa Technik Philippines is wasting no time in pushing forward with what will be its single-largest investment in the country yet.
After breaking ground on the 157,000-square-meter facility at Clark International Airport earlier this month, the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider has already identified the builder of its second base maintenance facility in the Philippines.
That would be First Orient Development and Construction Corp. (FODC), a construction company led by chair and CEO Fred Dela Cruz that has extensive experience building high-rise and residential structures, as well as facilities for the food, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and industrial sectors.
But the Clark facility may just be a different breed. It is designed to eventually accommodate even more aircraft than Lufthansa Technik’s flagship Philippine facility at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Its first phase will initially accommodate three wide-body aircraft, including two Airbus A380s, the world’s largest passenger aircraft.
A second phase—about twice the size—will follow after operations begin in 2028.
“This partnership represents more than the construction of a facility, it is investment in the future of Philippine aviation,” Dela Cruz said. “We at FODC are honored as we partner with LTP in building an infrastructure that will support industry growth and create lasting value for the country.”
Indeed, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about the expansion. The project is expected to create about 1,200 jobs while strengthening Clark’s bid to become a major hub for aircraft maintenance and other MRO services.
******
Get real-time news updates: inqnews.net/inqviber
