Lufthansa Technik has performed the first major connectivity modifications on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on behalf of an undisclosed customer, which is enlarging its all-Boeing 737 fleet.
The aircraft were modified at Lufthansa Technik Budapest, during a five-day layover. A structures team reinforced the affected skin area to facilitate the installation of the Satellite Antenna Assembly (SAA) and GSM antenna as well as the covering radome. The avionics team installed the cabling, hardware and software of the related connectivity system in the aircraft cabin. Other mechanics provided the necessary access to the cockpit and passenger compartment interior and reinstalled all equipment once the work had been completed.
Dietmar Focke, CEO of Lufthansa Technik Budapest, said, “The recent events demonstrate our competence for modification work on the Boeing 737 MAX 8. But this is only the first step. We are currently expanding our services to full base maintenance capabilities for this aircraft type to support operators from scheduled maintenance to aircraft modification all the way to major overhaul events.”
