Lufthansa Technik, one of the world's largest Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) providers, recently signed a Customised Spares Logistics (CSL) agreement with Airbus Spares Support and Services to become the 25th CSL customer. With this agreement, Airbus has won the largest CSL customer to date.

CSL is one of the modules of Air+ by Airbus, the comprehensive portfolio of support and services created by Airbus to enable its customers to meet their business objectives. Thanks to its unique modularity concept Air+ by Airbus offers Airbus customers the possibility to choose amongst a wide range of advanced services the modules they need according to their own outsourcing policy.

After signing up for a trial period in March 2006, LHT decided to fully commit to CSL for a selected range of deliveries. Under this agreement Airbus takes responsibility for the transportation of spares and the entire supply chain with full transparency from order receipt until the part is received at its destination. CSL provides a delivery solution with significantly reduced lead-times and lower operational administration, allowing customers to focus on their core business whilst benefiting from reduced transportation cost.

Dr. Thomas Papke, Senior Vice President Strategic Purchasing of Lufthansa Technik, and Heino Ostermeier, Airbus Vice President Spares Support and Services, signed the agreement in a ceremony attended by several executives from both companies.

Dr. Thomas Papke underlined LHT's confidence in Airbus following decades of cooperation between the two parties and looked forward to future joint projects with Airbus Spares Support and Services.

Heino Ostermeier, said, "this CSL agreement is further evidence of the confidence that successful MRO providers, such as LHT, have in our innovative services. We have built a strong relationship with LHT and we are delighted that once again LHT has chosen a customised solution from Airbus to support its rapidly expanding maintenance organization."

"We set out to provide a better service, one that leading customers like LHT recognise as being best in class yet flexible in specification and capable of delivering their spares to the dock on time" explains Alex Bernin.

Lufthansa Technik offers technical fleet management and aircraft MRO services for commercial aircraft, engines and systems to more than 500 operators of commercial aircraft worldwide and joined the Airbus MRO network in June 2006.

This 25th CSL agreement is a significant milestone in the young history of Airbus CSL and underlines the successful approach of Air+ by Airbus in offering flexible and customised services to Airbus customers.

Airbus is an EADS joint company with BAE Systems.

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