CAAM Acquires Six A320s For Teardown

Airbus A320 LATAM Teardown
LATAM operates Airbus A320 aircraft across its network of airline affiliates in South America.
Credit: Rafael Luiz Canossa (Wikimedia Commons)

China Aviation Aftermarket Holdings (CAAM), a subsidiary of China Aircraft Leasing Group (CALC), has bought six Airbus A320 airframes from Chile-headquartered carrier LATAM Airlines, which will be sent to the U.S. for disassembly.

The airframes are scheduled to be delivered in stages, starting last month through to the first quarter of next year. The aircraft will be disassembled in Tupelo, Mississippi, at CAAM’s aircraft recycling partner, Universal Asset Management (UAM).  

UAM will break down the aircraft and recycle parts and materials. It says this will be done through a series of environmentally friendly practices.

“This showcases our commitment towards aviation sustainability, amongst which is the provision of environmentally sustainable aftermarket and end-of-life solutions,” says Luis Ayala, chief development officer of CALC. 

This transaction is the first between CALC and LATAM, which operates a network of subsidiary airlines across South America in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru. In total, the airline group operates a fleet of nearly 300 aircraft comprised of Airbus and Boeing models.

James Pozzi

As Aviation Week's MRO Editor EMEA, James Pozzi covers the latest industry news from the European region and beyond. He also writes in-depth features on the commercial aftermarket for Inside MRO.