Lufthansa To Expand Operations In Tulsa

A German airline is expanding its operations in Tulsa.

When Lufthansa first came to Tulsa they only had five employees.

Now, they have hundreds and after Monday's announcement, that number could grow. 

Pamela Whyte moved from Jamaica to the United States about more than five years ago and she's worked at Lufthansa in Tulsa for a little more than four years. 

"When I came here I started out as an avionics technician and now I am the lead oxygen technician," said Pamela Whyte with Lufthansa Technik. "This company, it means, I would say, it means, 'life-changing.'"

Lufthansa announced it's expanding its services in Green Country, building a 115,000-square foot shop floor which doubles the size of the original facility. 

The Tulsa Regional Chamber says that growth means the possibility of more jobs for Tulsans in the future 

"This will allow them to increase their production and grow annually in terms of the services that they provide and again allowing the potential for job creation in the future," said Brien Thorstenberg with the Tulsa Regional Chamber. 

"A couple of years ago we were kind of worried about Lufthansa staying in Tulsa Oklahoma and whether they would even consider being able to add more jobs in the future so many of us have been working very very hard to make sure that we did everything we could to keep them, help them expand," said Gov. Mary Fallin. 

"To be part of a company that is growing and moving up and being able to move up so quickly," Whyte said. 

By the end of the year, the company hopes to expand its operations into Mexico and Colombia.