LHT Still Committed to India

Lufthansa Technik is not shying away from India, according to August Henningsen, chairman of the German company’s executive board. His comment to AIN here in Singapore this week comes as its former partner in the country, GMR Group, prepares to operate a new maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility with partner Malaysian Airlines in Hyderabad,

The German MRO giant pulled out of a tie-up with GMR Group, inked in 2008, last year to set up its own $20 million MRO facility at the new airport in Hyderabad.

“India’s market cannot be ignored. It is a growing market. Growth in aviation will require training, safety and maintenance operations,” said Henningsen. However, he added that growth in the country’s MRO sector is being undermined by an unfavorable fiscal regime. “India needs to rationalize its taxes. Business has to be profitable, viable and sustainable,” he said.