Lufthansa Technik Wins Finnair A350 Contract

Finnair, the first European airline to operate the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, has awarded Lufthansa Technik a 12-year agreement for component support for the new aircraft type.

Lufthansa Technik is one of the leading providers of technical services for the aviation industry, and the agreement with Finnair is the company's first contract for A350 XWB component support.

"The new A350 XWB aircraft form the backbone of our growth strategy, and component support agreement is one part of our thorough preparations for the aircraft's arrival," said Jari Huhtinen, Vice President, Finnair Technical Operations. "We are pleased to sign this contract with Lufthansa Technik. World class technical competencies, high reliability of repair service and overall cost competitiveness were key factors in our decision."

The exclusive Total Component Support TCS contract covers the availability and repair services of A350 XWB components. Finnair already has an agreement with Lufthansa Technik on engine-related components service for V2500 engines and APU services for APS3200.

"This first contract for component support for the newest Airbus aircraft is a terrific vote of confidence from our customer Finnair," said Dr. Johannes Bussmann, CEO of Lufthansa Technik. "It also underscores once again our many years of expertise in ensuring a smooth introduction of new aircraft types.”

Finnair's own maintenance organisation at Helsinki Airport is responsible for the line maintenance of Finnair's current fleet and the new A350 XWB fleet.

Finnair has firm orders for 19 A350 XWB aircraft, the first four of which are expected to arrive in the fleet in the second half of this year, with another seven in 2016 and 2017. The complete order will be fulfilled by 2023.