On the Record with
AUGUST W. HENNINGSEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, LUFTHANSA TECHNIK

Lufthansa Technik Says 'You Have Mail'

A tour of Lufthansa Technik's Hamburg completion center for large business jets--its XXL center--is quite an eye opener.

The hangars and the aircraft are large, the cabinetry and upholstery workshops are small--but the technical subsidiary of Lufthansa Airlines can work on four BBJs at once as well as an A340 or Boeing 747 for a VVIP or head of state. Next year it will add another BBJ-type line, and wheel eight completed airliner-size executive jets out the door.

Chairman August Henningsen prides himself on Lufthansa Technik's on-time deliveries. Well, almost on time--the first of 11 firm and 20 optioned BBJs for NetJets was completed recently just a few days late. But that is a far cry from the rest of the completions industry where delays of several months are common.

"We have a tremendous focus right now at Lufthansa Technik to complete the second and third NetJets BBJs on schedule," Henningsen told Show News.

"Next year we will have five lines just for BBJ-sized aircraft, as well as the VVIP line," he added. This will make it the largest completions center of its kind in the world.

Where many other completion centers make a mistake, he believes, is that they think of what to put in an airplane rather than the lifestyle the customer expects while in it. The issues range from type of toilet to type of entertainment system--and that is a story in itself.

"What many have found is that just taking consumer electronics and installing them in the aircraft does not work in the long run. For example, we are installing flat panel plasma screens with integral, hidden speakers, but to get them fully certified is very, very expensive," he said.

Making surround sound work in the confines of a cabin can also be very difficult, given the frequency ranges and volumes on DVD movie disks.

"We have the advantage of our strong engineering and design authority capabilities to adapt quickly to the needs of our customers on entertainment, satcom, internet and lifestyle issues in the airplane," Henningsen said. Powering it all, and integrating it with the aircraft's systems, calls on experience that many other completion or entertainment centers don't have, he added.

-John Morris

Elite Clients Push Technology

Strong investment of 10 million euros since 1998 to make Lufthansa Technik the world's leading completion center for large business jets (BBJs, A319 Corporate Jetliners and Fairchild Dornier Envoy 7s, as well as larger airliners) has had another spinoff: the Hamburg shop has become a center for innovation.

With wealthy clientele wanting the latest and best, Lufthansa Technik finds it has already dealt with technical, design and certification problems by the time the next customers come knocking on the door. Examples: large format plasma displays, invisible "flat panel" speakers, and uncomplicated power supplies to power laptops while in flight.

Lufthansa Technik completed five large business jets last year--on time, says chairman August Henningsen, in contrast to much of the industry. It now plans to deliver eight BBJs per year from five production lines in Hamburg.

Backlog includes 11 firm and 20 option BBJs for NetJets.

-J.M.

Up There with Live e-Mail

Lufthansa Technik believes it is a leader--if not the front runner--in providing true broadband communications to VIPs in flight.

It recently delivered an Airbus A340 executive aircraft with a broadband antenna (from Connexion by Boeing) in the roof that allows its Middle Eastern owner to watch live TV and surf the Net while flying to and from North America.

It has also certified its own live TV and Satcom TIOS antenna (for Two In One Service) for e-mail and Internet applications, and will install it in a Lufthansa Boeing 737 vertical tail for testing early next year.

"Satcom on board our aircraft is not an issue--we have had that for some years," Lufthansa Technik chairman August Henningsen told Show News. "But it has a very limited data flow. What our customers want is no difference in quality in communications, live TV or Internet than when they are on the ground. Anything less is just not acceptable."

That will dictate broadband capability, integrating antennae and systems with the aircraft, and the systems with the available satellites, he said. Henningsen believes Lufthansa Technik is closer than most to offering it.