Lufthansa Technik breaks ground on major Portuguese MRO hub near Porto

Lufthansa Technik has officially begun construction of a new 55,000-square-metre aircraft maintenance facility in Santa Maria da Feira, south of Porto, marking a major expansion of the Lufthansa Group’s industrial footprint in Portugal.

The three-digit million-euro investment, announced through Lufthansa Technik Portugal (founded in 2024), is expected to create up to 700 skilled jobs and begin operations in 2028. The site will focus on the repair of aircraft engine parts and components, strengthening the company’s global maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) network.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro highlighted the project as a strategic investment for both regional development and Portugal’s wider economic partnership with Germany. Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr described Portugal as one of the group’s most strategically important countries outside its home markets, citing its role in aviation, innovation, and connectivity.

The project forms part of a broader Lufthansa Group expansion in Portugal, which also includes plans for a TravelTech and AI hub and the establishment of a help alliance organisation in the country—the first of its kind in Europe outside Germany.

Lufthansa Technik COO Harald Gloy said the facility represents a key pillar of the company’s long-term growth strategy, while AICEP chair Madalena Oliveira e Silva and local authorities emphasised the investment’s importance for Portugal’s aerospace sector and regional job creation.

Once completed, the facility will further strengthen Portugal’s position as a European MRO hub and deepen the Lufthansa Group’s operational presence in the country, where it already operates over 350 weekly flights across multiple destinations.