Mr Walter Heerdt Sr. Vice President Marketing & Sales Lufthansa Technik

What future do you see in the Asia in view of the current global downturn? When do you think the recovery will take place?

Asia is dense populated and has an increasing economical strength. This requires transportation of people and goods. With other words a good market, also for aviation. The present downturn will have only a temporary effect. However, it is presently unpredictable how long this will last.

What all services you are active with in Asia, at the moment? Which country(s) has/ have larger pie?

Lufthansa Technik has numerous customers in Asia and also on the subcontinent India, among others these are Kingfisher, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines. The MRO volume of the Indian Market wins an increasing weight in Asia. We offer a full assortment of MRO services through our worldwide Group network. We have 29 MRO facilities around the world. Among those we have two in China, one in the Philippines, one in Malaysia.

What activities are you involved with in India? What are your views on the civil aviation scenario particularly in India?

Lufthansa Technik has a strong commitment towards the Indian market and has established considerable customer base in India. In addition we have the company Lufthansa Technik Services India located in Bangalore. The company provides regional supply of aircraft components for Indian customers and customer service. It furthermore offers airframe related components lease, technical training and logistics. The company will expand its services in the region as the market demands.

As already mentioned we expect the Indian Civil Aviation Market to grow further, even though we might see a period of reduced or even stagnating growth during the financial crisis. On the medium term it will return to growth.

Can you elaborate what does Total Support Services mean? Total Technical Support TTS®

Airlines are finding it more and more important to concentrate on their core business which is flying aircraft thus earning revenue whilst maximizing yields. Total Technical Support TTS® enables the airline customer to do just that.

TTS® is a combination of all services related to MRO. It includes, but is not limited to line maintenance, customized maintenance planning, troubleshooting, engineering services, repair and overhaul of aircraft, engines and components (incl. IFE), spare-parts pooling, spare engine leasing, painting, cabin modifications, Airline Support Teams AST®, logistics and training. It is a flexible service package that is configured to fit the specific wishes and requirements of the airline customer. The customer can select what suits his needs best. The services are offered on a power by the hour basis. This assures the customers the full service range at exactly predictable cost.