Orange is the New Black: easyJet Again Entrusts Long-term Base Maintenance Work to Lufthansa Technik Sofia

At this year’s MRO Europe trade fair in London, easyJet and Lufthansa Technik have agreed to significantly extend their successful cooperation in the field of aircraft maintenance services for the low-cost airline’s massive fleet of Airbus A320 family jets. For the next seven years, Lufthansa Technik Sofia is set to continue its role as a mainstay for easyJet’s regular heavy base maintenance checks. Each winter season, Lufthansa Technik’s Southeastern European powerhouse will dedicate four parallel overhaul bays exclusively to the airline.

The agreement covers A320ceo and A320neo family aircraft operated under the various Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) of easyJet —easyJet UK, easyJet Switzerland and easyJet Europe — and ideally complements the recurring light base maintenance checks that the airline’s fleet already receives at Lufthansa Technik Milan.

“Lufthansa Technik Sofia plays a major part in our outsourced base maintenance activity,” said Brendan McConnellogue, Director Engineering and Maintenance at easyJet. “The easyJet and Lufthansa Technik Sofia teams work brilliantly together each winter season to meet the airline’s ever-growing needs. We are extremely pleased to be extending our relationship as our fleet continues to grow.”

“We are thrilled that easyJet has once again renewed our long-term base maintenance agreement, placing their trust in our expertise. With their distinctive livery, easyJet will continue to bring their signature orange presence to Sofia for many winters to come,” said Daniel Hepworth, Senior Director Corporate Sales Western Europe at Lufthansa Technik. “Over the past decade, our collaboration has resulted in more than 500 successful maintenance checks, consistently meeting high safety and punctuality standards. This contract extension represents a true partnership built over many years delivering safe, reliable aircraft on-time and on budget.”

easyJet and Lufthansa Technik already maintain a long-lasting and successful business relationship in various fields of maintenance, repair and overhaul. Lufthansa Technik Sofia started performing base maintenance checks for the airline in 2015. Based on the good experience with two standalone layovers, the airline awarded the Bulgarian subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik a first five-year contract in 2016. When the partners signed their second five-year contract in 2021, the number of dedicated bays had already risen from 1.5 to four, the setup which has now been extended for seven more years.

Besides Lufthansa Technik Sofia, Lufthansa Technik’s global base maintenance network moreover comprises major facilities on three continents, serving a broad range of customers from all over the world with comprehensive aircraft checks. The service portfolio ranges from C-, IL- or D-checks on short-, medium-, and long-haul aircraft to modifications and other services.