Lufthansa Technik Malta Ltd. (LTM) was established in 2002 as a joint venture between Lufthansa Technik AG (92%) and Air Malta (8%). The MRO service provider (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul), based at Malta International Airport in Luqa, provides its customers with line and base maintenance services for short haul and long haul aircraft in the Airbus A320/A330/340/350 series. Initially specializing in C Checks and comprehensive aircraft modifications, the company has now significantly expanded its service portfolio following the construction of a 64,000 square meter hangar complex. The spectrum of services offered has grown to encompass extensive maintenance work with wide ranging capabilities including structural and composite fibre repairs, complex testing procedures and comprehensive cabin refits. The 600 strong workforce can work on up to three long haul aircraft or five medium and long haul aircraft at any one time in the new hangar complex, expanded to cater for wide body aircraft. The hangars are used primarily for C Checks and aircraft overhauls. The first hangar complex, initially used for extensive structural modifications on the Boeing 737 Classic range of aircraft, was extended with a fifth line in 2014. Lufthansa Technik Malta also collaborates with the renowned Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) for the purpose of training and apprenticeship schemes. The strategically favorable location in the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, with its proximity to Africa and to the Arabian Peninsula, gives Lufthansa Technik Malta a special role within the Lufthansa Group. Ten years after the company's founding, more than 1,000 checks had already been carried out. The high quality standards, cost efficiency and the shortest possible turnaround times places the Malta facility at the forefront of the MRO industry.