Used-parts specialist APOC added its first widebody landing gear to its lease inventory, executing a sale-leaseback for one Boeing 777-300ER gear ship set with Lufthansa Technik Landing Gear Services UK (LTLGS)—a deal the supplier says signifies its plans to expand its widebody fleet support business.  

“Widebody assets are an integral part of APOC’s [landing gear] expansion plan,” APOC VP Landing Gear Trading and Leasing Karolis Jurkevičius said. “We’re investigating various opportunities to meet customers’ expectations and although this is our first significant widebody project, it was a planned step.” 

Jurkevičius said APOC identified “a need from LTLGS to have such an asset on lease,” prompting the company to act. 

“Choosing the lease option enables us to calculate costs for operational projects with certainty and it gives us additional flexibility to explore alternative investment strategies for our business,” LTLGS CEO Christian Rodarius said. 

“It is the first one, and I’m confident it will not be the last, as we are planning to increase our portfolio of widebody landing gear sets,” he said, listing Boeing 767, 777, Airbus A330 “and others” as targets. 

Rotterdam-based APOC’s primary focus has been narrowbody airframe and engine teardowns, with some asset purchases backed by private investors via crowd-funding platforms. Landing gear is among its growth areas. The company says 40% of its landing gear stock is leases, 30% is part of exchange programs, and the rest is flexible.