FL Technics Engine Services has secured a CFM56 maintenance agreement with Lufthansa Group’s Group Engine Management GmbH, marking a significant milestone for its Kaunas engine shop as it builds its position in the competitive engine MRO market.
The agreement covers repair and maintenance services for the CFM56 engine family, bringing FL Technics Engine Services into a working relationship with one of the aviation industry’s major airline groups. For the relatively young engine maintenance operation, the partnership represents an opportunity to demonstrate its technical capabilities while developing its processes and service offering.
Based in Kaunas, Lithuania, FL Technics Engine Services operates a purpose-built 3,400-square-metre engine shop with eight bays dedicated to the CFM56-3, CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B variants. Its capabilities cover several levels of engine maintenance, allowing customers to select services according to engine condition, operational requirements and asset-management priorities.
Lufthansa Group audit puts maintenance processes under scrutiny
The partnership follows a customer audit conducted by representatives of Group Engine Management GmbH, a subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG that provides engine management services to Lufthansa Group airlines. The audit examined key areas of the Kaunas operation, including quality and safety management, technical processes, maintenance documentation, personnel competence and control of maintenance activities.
For an engine MRO provider, customer audits are an important part of demonstrating that maintenance processes, technical records and quality controls meet an operator’s requirements. They also provide an opportunity to identify areas for improvement and strengthen the consistency of maintenance delivery.
Valerij Deveikis, CEO of FL Technics Engine Services, said the cooperation would provide an opportunity to exchange experience and further develop the shop’s capabilities.
“Lufthansa Group, as FL Technics Group sets a high standard in aviation, and being able to work with an organisation of this scale gives us a valuable opportunity to learn, exchange experience and further strengthen the way we operate. We are grateful for the trust and look forward to everything we can take from this cooperation to continue developing the shop and its capabilities,” said Deveikis.
Justinas Mikalainis, Quality Manager at FL Technics Engine Services, highlighted the value of the audit in evaluating the organisation from a customer’s perspective.
“An audit with a customer like Lufthansa Group gives us an opportunity to look at our organisation from the customer’s perspective. It helps us understand their expectations, confirm the effectiveness of our processes and identify opportunities for improvement,” said Mikalainis.
CFM56 shop capabilities target varied maintenance requirements
FL Technics Engine Services has developed its Kaunas facility around the CFM56 family, which powers widely used aircraft including the Airbus A320ceo family and Boeing 737NG. The engine’s extensive installed base continues to underpin demand for maintenance, repair and asset-management services.
The shop offers engine repairs, module swaps, partial performance restoration, lease-return services and on-wing support. These capabilities allow the provider to address different maintenance requirements, from targeted repairs and module-level work to performance restoration and support for engines undergoing lease transitions.
Partial performance restoration and module swaps can offer alternatives to more extensive shop visits, depending on engine condition and the work required. Lease-return services also support the technical assessment and preparation of engines for contractual handover, where maintenance status, records and asset condition are important considerations.
The facility’s focus on the CFM56-3, CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B gives it coverage across multiple generations of the engine family. Maintaining this capability requires suitable tooling, trained personnel, technical data and quality systems to support the applicable maintenance procedures.
The Lufthansa Group agreement adds a new dimension to the development of the Kaunas operation. Alongside its existing service portfolio, the partnership provides FL Technics Engine Services with an opportunity to strengthen its maintenance processes and build experience supporting the requirements of a major aviation group.
