EASA Grants Lufthansa Technik A320ceo Cabin Modification Rights

LYON—Lufthansa Technik has received a so-called Certain STC Privilege from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which means the company can now independently approve cabin conversions for the Airbus A320ceo family.

The rights may translate into faster modification approvals and cost savings, which Lufthansa Technik may want to pass on to customers.

Design organizations—under EASA’s definition—such as Lufthansa Technik must obtain a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for each major design change to an aircraft or engine. The Certain STC Privilege authorizes Lufthansa Technik to independently certify such changes, provided they fall within the approved scope in A320ceo cabin conversions.

The newly granted rights apply to engineering solutions for which the design organization has already frequently obtained STCs. Lufthansa Technik is thus allowed to approve cabin layout changes—such as seat reconfigurations, relocation of galleys or lavatories, and repositioning of class dividers—without individual EASA approval. For example, if Lufthansa Technik designs a cabin layout with a different number of seats, it can approve the modification independently, a company spokesperson said. The new rights apply to rearrangement and authorize the inclusion of new galley equipment, she points out. In the future, other new equipment, such as a new lavatory design, may be included, she added.

The entitlement may shorten approval timelines and reduce the number of stakeholders involved. “The privilege allows us to clearly differentiate between routine projects we can handle independently and those requiring close EASA involvement,” Uwe Schueler, VP of design organization at Lufthansa Technik, said. “We expect certification cost savings of up to 20%.” Lufthansa Technik’s design organization employs some 700 engineers across 12 Lufthansa locations worldwide.