Tiefensee welcomes expansion of engine specialist N3 in Arnstadt

Thuringia's Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Tiefensee welcomed the decision by Lufthansa and Rolls-Royce to service additional engines in Arnstadt in the future, thereby expanding their commitment in Thuringia. "This is a decision with a signal effect from which the entire region benefits," said Tiefensee. The decisive factors for the award were the excellent quality, high flexibility, and delivery reliability for which the Thuringian location and its more than 600 employees stand. Together with the aircraft maintenance company HAITEC Aircraft Maintenance GmbH at Erfurt Airport, the expansion of N3 is gradually developing a "recognizable profile" for Thuringia in the field of aircraft maintenance. "N3 once again confirms its role as one of the major growth and employment drivers of the Thuringian economy," said Tiefensee. The state is therefore also supporting investments in the location within the framework of its funding opportunities. Lufthansa and Rolls-Royce had made the decision in November 2004 to establish a new competence center for Airbus engines in Thuringia. In mid-2005, work began on the site of the Erfurt Cross/Arnstadt industrial area to build the plant, where Rolls-Royce engines (aircraft turbines) of the types Trent 500, 700, and 900 for the Airbus A 340, A 330, and A 380 are tested, serviced, and maintained. The total investment costs of the project amounted to around 90 million euros. In 2007, N3 commenced operations. From autumn 2016, the engines of Airbus A350 aircraft, which will be used by Lufthansa and other airlines worldwide in the future, will also be serviced in Arnstadt. "N3 places high organizational, economic, and technological demands on employees and the corporate environment," Tiefensee made clear. "The expansion shows: Thuringia is up to these demands. We offer excellent conditions for settlements and company growth." Press release from the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Science and Digital Society dated December 14, 2015