10 October, 2018: Lufthansa Technik has recently performed the first major connectivity modifications on Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft of an undisclosed customer. The aircraft were modified at Lufthansa Technik Budapest.
The airline customer is currently enlarging its all-Boeing 737 fleet with the most recent member of this aircraft family and was looking for a partner to equip the fleet with a state-of-the-art connectivity solution. Lufthansa Technik Budapest was the location of choice to accomplish the layovers within a short and reliable time frame. Over the recent years, the narrowbody base maintenance and modification experts in Budapest have performed this modification many times on Boeing 737 NG aircraft.
During the five-day layovers, several specialised teams were in place to accomplish the modification work. A structures team reinforces 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 installs the cabling, hardware and software of the related connectivity system in the aircraft cabin. Other mechanics provide the necessary access to the cockpit and passenger compartment interior and reinstall all equipment once all work has been finished.