History & Present

HISTORY

1949

Aircraft repair company Trenčín have been in existence since 1949, established for the purpose of repairing of aircraft platforms, ground support equipment and in the 90’s also for the air defense equipment. The history of repairs and production of aviation products in Trenčín is much longer though. The construction of the airport and the military aviation workshop began as early as 1936.

During their entire period of existence LOTN carried out repairs of gliders, sport aircrafts, small and medium sized helicopters, training jets and transport aircrafts including subsonic and supersonic fighter jets and combat helicopters. The history of aviation engineering is illustrated for example by C-2, Zlin-26 to Zlin-526, C-104, C-106, Z-22, Ae-45 (145), L-410, Meta Sokol, Jak-11, Helicopters Mi-1, Mi-4, Mi-8 and aircrafts L-200 Morava, L-29 Dolphin, L-39 Albatros, L-410 Turbolet, MiG-23, Su-22 and Su-25.

1971

The milestone and breakthrough point in the history of LOTN was the year 1971. It meant the beginning of a new jet era. It was characterized by the commencement of aircraft repairs on the propulsion units with turbine (jet) engines, or so-called “jets”. The first representatives of this stage were training planes of the well-known type L-29 Dolphin.

Until 1989, the LOTN were managed by the Ministry of Defense of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic as a company focusing on repairs for the whole range of aircrafts used in Czechoslovakia and within the Warsaw Treaty Organization. At this time, LOTN experienced the greatest boom in terms of development and new infrastructure. In the second half of the 80s, there were also significant changes in the qualitative composition of the repaired aviation platforms. Product portfolio which was made of jet training aircrafts was extended to include repairs of heavy combat and supersonic fighter jet aircrafts.

1989

On the first of July 1989, the Founding Charter no. 1105-84 of the Federal Ministry of National Defense reorganizes the enterprise into a state-owned enterprise. The Declaration of the Slovak Republic on 1 January 1993 established a new partnership between the company, the Ministry of Defense, as well as with air bases and foreign partners of LOTN. The company thus became the only aircraft-repair and production enterprise of its kind in Slovakia.

1993

Declaration of the Slovak Republic on January 1, 1993 established new partnership relations between the company, the Ministry of Defense, but also air bases and partners abroad. The company thus became the only aircraft repair and production company of its kind in Slovakia.

1996

In 1996, the LOTN was sheltering repairs of the most modern aircrafts of the Slovak Air Force, the high-performance MiG-29A fighter jets and the MiG-29UB two-seater.

1997

In addition to repairing of these new types of combat aircraft, LOTN mastered the repairs of the Mi-24V (D) combat helicopters. These repairs were carried out since 1997 together with the general overhauls of Mi-17 helicopters. In addition to this aircraft repair program, LOTN have also performed repairs of the previously established types such as L-29, L-39 and also L-410 aircrafts for the Slovak Air Force and for the foreign customers. From the point of view of preserving the cultural heritage, the area of repairs and construction of historical airplanes, which are currently located in the Air Museum of History in Prague – and Air Museum Piešťany, was of a great importance. No less important chapter in the history of the LOTN were the repairs of the L-39 aircrafts of the well-known aerobatic group Biele Albatrosy.

2006

As a joint stock company, LOTN is one of the youngest joint stock companies in the Trenčín region. The process of transforming a state-owned company into a joint-stock company was completed in January 2006, and the company began to build a new stage in its development. 2007 was the first year in which LOTN, a.s. operated for the entire calendar year as a joint stock company.

Present

LOTN is a traditional aircraft-repair company, one of its kind in Slovakia. Not only in terms of the number of military and civilian aircrafts that have been repaired so far, but also in terms of the number of types and versions of repaired or upgraded aircrafts and helicopters. LOTN has served a number of Air Forces worldwide and overhauled hundreds of both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft of multiple OEM platforms. Some of the primary aircraft platforms serviced by LOTN include Mi-8/17/171; L-39; and L-410. Following the major aircraft fleet modernization program, LOTN has been the designated MRO to provide maintenance, technical and logistic support services for UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft.