Emirates will continue to send part of its Airbus A380 fleet to Lufthansa Technik Philippines for maintenance. The two companies have extended their cooperation through 2030, with two base maintenance lines in Manila to be used in parallel for the airline.
Lufthansa Technik Philippines has completed more than 30 A380 checks for Emirates since 2023. The work includes major scheduled maintenance events, commonly referred to as heavy checks. Aircraft remain on the ground for an extended period while structures, systems and components are inspected and maintained in accordance with the applicable maintenance program.
The size of the Emirates fleet makes the agreement significant for Lufthansa Technik Philippines. Emirates remains by far the world’s largest A380 operator. According to Lufthansa Technik, the contract ranks among the largest in the history of its Philippine subsidiary by value.
Emirates to become first customer at Clark International Airport
Future work will not be limited to Manila. Lufthansa Technik Philippines is currently developing a second facility at Clark International Airport, where Emirates is expected to become the first customer.
The new site covers around 157,000 square metres and is designed to accommodate up to nine widebody aircraft at the same time. Operations are scheduled to begin in 2028.
Lufthansa Technik is investing a three-digit million US-dollar amount in the project. Around 1,200 jobs are planned.
Clark will complement the existing base at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. Lufthansa Technik Philippines currently supports Airbus A330, A340 and A380 aircraft there, as well as the Boeing 777. Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 capabilities are planned as part of the expansion.
Cooperation dates back to 2023
Emirates began assigning additional A380 checks to Lufthansa Technik Philippines in 2023. The new agreement extends that program through 2030 and already includes the future Clark facility.
For Emirates, the contract adds external base maintenance capacity beyond its own engineering organization. That matters particularly for the A380: the fleet remains large, while only a limited number of MRO providers worldwide have the infrastructure and experience required to handle the aircraft.
Image: Emirates via Lufthansa Technik