The Aircraft Repair and Maintenance Centre (ZTC) is the successor to the Aircraft Repair and Maintenance Institute. On 14 September 1991, the institute's workers decided to stop repairing aircraft of the then Yugoslav People's Army and put themselves at the disposal of the Croatian authorities. Therefore 14 September is marked as the centre's day.
Until April 2009, the institute was a part of the Defence Ministry. Under a government decision of April 2009, the institute's successor -- the ZTC -- became an independent state-owned company overhauling and maintaining both Croatian Air Force planes and civilian aircraft.
Kosor today described the ZTC as "a good story in the current difficult economic times".
The PM was hopeful that the centre would provide jobs for new employees, as planned.
Currently the ZTC employs 172 people.
During today's ceremony, ten ZTC employees were given certificates for repairing and maintaining Canadair CL 415 planes, which are used in fire-fighting operations.
The ZTC management plans to employ 30 engineers in the next six months.
"The ZTC is a civilian company, divested from the Defence Ministry, and it continues the job which the institute did for mor than 60 years," the centre's CEO, Zdravko Delic, said, adding that the ZTC covered an area of 25,000 square metres.
We would like to become a regional centre for fire-fighting planes, Delic said.