Lufthansa Technik marked a major milestone in its expansion into Portugal with the official opening of its new training center in Santa Maria da Feira, located approximately 35 kilometers south of Porto. This initiative forms part of the company’s preparations for the launch of its upcoming production facility, which is set to become operational by the end of 2027.
The training center, situated in the ‘Perm’ industrial park about nine kilometers from the future site, welcomed its first 18 employees on Monday. Designed to provide both theoretical and practical instruction, the center spans two buildings – one currently hosting introductory events and classroom-based lessons, while the other will soon commence hands-on training. These practical sessions will be supervised by experienced Lufthansa Technik professionals from Hamburg. The facility, leased for an initial three-year term, includes modern seminar rooms and fully equipped office workstations.
The launch follows Lufthansa Technik’s December announcement of a major investment in Portugal, committing a triple-digit million-euro sum to a 54,000-square-meter production facility in the ‘Lusopark’ industrial zone of Santa Maria da Feira. The new site will focus on the repair of engine parts and aircraft components and is expected to generate approximately 700 jobs.
Since revealing its plans, Lufthansa Technik Portugal has already hired 25 employees for key roles such as Human Resources Manager, Production Manager, and Tool & Equipment Engineer. An additional 20 hires are anticipated by year’s end. To support continued recruitment, the company is actively seeking Technicians, Quality Engineer Auditors, and further HR professionals. Interest in the new venture has been high, with roughly 150 applications received on average for each open position.
To build a long-term talent pipeline, Lufthansa Technik Portugal is forming partnerships with educational institutions nationwide. One such partnership is already underway with Cenfim (Centro de Formação Profissional da Indústria Metalúrgica e Metalomecânica), a national vocational training center specializing in metal and electromechanical industries. Cenfim is supporting the technical candidate selection process.
The opening ceremony was attended by Volker Magunna, Chairperson of the Board at Lufthansa Technik Portugal, who personally welcomed the first group of employees. He was joined by Ricardo Arroja, CEO of AICEP (Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo de Portugal), and Amadeu Albergaria, Mayor of Santa Maria da Feira.
“Today is a special day for Lufthansa Technik Portugal, one that will go down in the company’s history – and that even before construction of the actual production facility has begun,” said Magunna. “It is a great feeling to welcome our first 18 colleagues as well as our guests from politics and business at the newly opened training center. This milestone vividly demonstrates the pace and commitment with which we are advancing this major project.”
Lufthansa Technik continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to growth and investment in Portugal, working closely with local and national partners to build a skilled workforce and a state-of-the-art aviation maintenance operation.
