By HENRY EMPEÑO | June 17, 2026

CLARK FREEPORT — Aviation service provider Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) will open a 15-hectare maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at the Clark International Airport here to complement existing operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

“The facility in Clark will be Lufthansa Technik’s second location in the Philippines and will complement operations at the long-standing site at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, where the company has been present for more than 25 years,” the firm said in a statement on Tuesday, June 16.

“Together, both locations will form a powerful hub for widebody aircraft MRO and strengthen Lufthansa Technik’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region,” it added.

LTP said the 157,000 sqm. Clark hub will accommodate up to nine widebody aircraft in its bays and start operations in 2028.

The firm, which specializes in the MRO of Airbus A330, A340, A350 and A380, as well as Boeing 777 aircraft, said it foresees the inclusion of Boeing 787s in its portfolio with the Clark expansion.

LTP said last February that it will invest about $400 million for the Clark MRO project.

“Over the coming years, the three-digit million-dollar investment will create around 1,200 highly skilled jobs,” the firm also said on Tuesday.

LTP, which is the joint venture between Lufthansa Technik AG and Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia Corporation, formally signed an agreement for the Clark project with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) at Malacañan Palace on Tuesday when German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as part of his state visit.

Both heads of state acknowledged the project as a milestone in German-Philippine economic cooperation, LTP said.

After the Malacañan visit, Steinmeier also toured the Lufthansa facility at the NAIA with Lufthansa Technik CEO Soeren Stark, and LTP CEO Holger Beck.

Lufthansa officials said the expansion in Clark “underscores the long-term commitment of Lufthansa Technik, the world’s leading provider of technical aircraft services, to the Philippines as a strategic hub.”

The project, they added positions the company to meet growing demand from its airline customers across Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.

“Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world, and the Philippines are central to our strategy in this region,” Stark said. “With the investment in the new site in Clark, we are taking the next decisive step in our growth strategy and positioning Lufthansa Technik for the future of aviation – well beyond the borders of this region.”

Beck also pointed out that both the Clark and NAIA operations “will complement each other as two strong pillars of growth.”

BCDA President and CEO Joshua Bingcang said, meanwhile, that the LTP venture reinforces Clark’s strength as a premier destination for globally-competitive industries and aviation-related investments.

“Lufthansa Technik’s decision to expand in Clark is a strong endorsement of the Philippines, our workforce, and the strategic advantages of Clark as an investment destination,” said Bingcang.

He added that the project will create more opportunities for Filipino engineers, technicians, and aviation professionals, strengthen the country’s aviation ecosystem, and generate long-term economic benefits for Central Luzon and nearby communities. ▲