Lufthansa Technik on Friday thanked the Government for their support, while Lufthansa Technik Malta’s CEO said, “the effect the pandemic has had on our business has been extreme, we still face many challenges to get back to the levels of 2019.

“The continued support from the Government and Malta Enterprise, together with the commitment from Lufthansa and the ongoing flexibility of our dedicated workforce, are the cornerstones required to allow us to navigate our way through this crisis.”

The aviation industry has suffered especially during the COVID pandemic, as international travel all but stopped, and Malta saw 59 per cent fewer flights in 2020.

The aviation industry brings together several different sectors including air transport, airports, aircraft manufacturing and Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MROs), all of which are interlinked and affected by the challenges brought about by the pandemic, including air travel restrictions. MROs in particular are highly dependent on the demand from the air transport sector, as clearly acknowledged by the OECD.

Lufthansa Technik, which has a facility in Luqa and provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services for aircraft, employs over 550 workers. They benefitted from the COVID Wage Supplement scheme in 2020 and will receive support in 2021 from the new revised Wage Supplement Scheme.

Miriam Dalli, Government Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development, has emphasised the Government’s commitment to supporting the aviation industry, saying, “as the world looks on eagerly to start recovering in the months to come, we will be giving the aviation industry the support it requires”.