OREANDA-NEWS. June 19, 2015. Aviation-related business development investment project AEROHUB KUN was presented in Kaunas. This project is the implementation of Kaunas Airport development strategy: the airport, having an excellent geographic location, intends to attract companies engaged in aircraft repair, manufacturing of parts and components, trade, etc. At the moment investors are sought for the project, for which several hundred people will be hired, together with Invest Lithuania.

Kaunas Airport has already started the initial works of AEROHUB KUN project: a new aircraft taxiway and passenger platform are being built here. It is expected to finish the works by the beginning of autumn, thus creating the conditions for the start of operation by the first investors. The estimated amount to ensure the first phase infrastructure is 7.2 million euro.

“The area of Kaunas Airport reaches 438 ha while the activities are carried out in the area of 126 ha, thus the project’s aim is to exploit the free territory. Following the establishment of infrastructure necessary for businesses, we can start thinking about the second phase of development during which we plan to connect Kaunas Airport with Kaunas Free Economic Zone (FEZ)”, said Bruno Kaspar, Director at Kaunas Airport.

“We consistently implement Kaunas Airport development strategy. In addition to strategically favourable geographical location we can ensure an excellent infrastructure while Invest Lithuania consults and provides full support to foreign investors which start operation in Lithuania. Maintenance of workforce accounts for about 75% of costs of companies providing aircraft repair and technical maintenance services. Therefore one of our key competitive advantages is the staff speaking in several languages, having engineering expertise, whose average salary is competitive, compared to Western European countries. Thus we need to ensure training of aviation mechanics otherwise we can forget about any new investments”, said J?rat? Baltru?aityt?, Commercial Director at Lithuanian Airports.

According to her, the need for new aircrafts, the demand for spare parts manufacturing, the services of other stock supply and the disposal of old aircrafts are observed throughout the world. The major aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing estimate that in order to satisfy the needs of aviation business Europe is going to need over 7500 new aircrafts and 100 thousand new pilots, maintenance technicians and engineers servicing aircrafts by 2033.

AEROHUB KUN project was also presented in the internationally in Moscow, Paris and London where it was received with considerable interest.