Doha – Qatar Airways has appointed Lufthansa Technik to perform C4 Checks on its Airbus A320 Family and A330 aircraft. A signing ceremony was held today at the airline’s headquarters in Doha, State Of Qatar, where Lufthansa Technik was tasked with performing a total of 24 C4-Checks in a programme expected to take around two and a half years to complete.

The checks will be performed on a total of nine Airbus A320 family narrow-bodied and 15 Airbus A330 wide-bodied aircraft.

The agreement was signed by Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, Lufthansa Technik Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing Walter Heerdt, and Lufthansa Technik Malta Chief Executive Officer Louis Giordimaina.

The signing was witnessed by a number of senior executives from both companies, as well as special guest officials, including Maltese President Dr. George Abela, – in Qatar for a state visit – Maltese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Tonio Borg and Qatar’s Minister of Culture, Arts & Heritage, H.E. Dr. Hamad bin AbdulAziz Al-Kawari.

Speaking at the ceremony Al Baker said: “Lufthansa Technik satisfied all Qatar Airways’ demanding requirements to perform C4-Checks on our A320 and A330 aircraft. Lufthansa understands the commercial need for our aircraft to have minimum ground time whilst also ensuring the highest standards achievable.

“Qatar Airways operates one of the youngest fleet of aircraft in the skies, and we are proud to be at the forefront of aviation safety, having earlier this year completed our fourth IATA Operational Safety Audit with 100% compliance,” said Al Baker.

The airline CEO also welcomed President Abela of Malta who witnessed the signing of this agreement.

“We sincerely welcome President Abela to Qatar Airways. The State of Qatar and the Republic of Malta have strong bilateral relations, and it is fitting that President Abela is here today as Lufthansa Technik has a very impressive maintenance facility in Malta,” Al Baker added.

Lufthansa Technik’s representative Heerdt was equally complimentary of Qatar Airways. “Qatar Airways has an impeccable record for safety and is one of the leading airlines in the world. Its safety standards remain at the top of the global aviation industry. We are thrilled to be aligned with Qatar Airways and look forward to a lasting relationship, said Heerdt.

Lufthansa Technik recently upgraded its maintenance operation in Malta to include wide-body aircraft such as the A330 type that will be serviced under the C4-Check agreement with Qatar Airways. Lufthansa Technik’s Maltese facility is considered an ideal plant for carriers from Europe and the Middle East to conduct aircraft maintenance checks given its proximity and quick turnaround times.

An aircraft check is generally classified into one of four categories: A, B, C, or D. The A and B checks are considered light and conducted on a regular basis, while C and D checks are more thorough, with a C check conducted on an aircraft every 12-18 months or following a certain number of hours in service. D checks are usually conducted every four to five years, and involve partial dismantling of the aircraft to allow the most exhaustive inspection of all aspects of an aircraft.

Qatar Airways operates a young and modern fleet of 69 Boeing and Airbus aircraft to 82 cities worldwide, a figure set to rise sharply over the next few years. The airline’s fleet will increase to more than 110 aircraft and destinations served top 120 cities over the next five years.

Source: Press Release (Lufthansa Technik)