Teardown companies are expecting strong demand for used serviceable material (USM) as airlines ramp-up operations and perform vital maintenance that they may have put off during the pandemic.

As the biggest ticket maintenance items, engine overhauls were immediately in the firing line when airlines sought to slash costs and preserve cash. 

And it was relatively easy for them to do so—grounded aircraft and limited demand meant that shop visits could be delayed, while surviving operations could be sustained by green-time engines and those with the longest remaining service intervals.

Now, Irish aftermarket business EirTrade Aviation has said it is looking forward to a “surge in demand for material to continue as deferred maintenance events now being undertaken are resulting in an augmented demand for USM to support these activities.”

The technical asset management company has just added engine disassembly to its other services from a facility in Dublin. It has contracted Lufthansa Technik to conduct the first eight teardowns, after which its staff will perform the work.

Its goal is to provide a complete end-of-life solution and give it quicker access to materials, especially from the extensive Dublin-based leasing community.

EirTrade already offered aircraft disassembly from a facility in Knock, Ireland, but obviously saw sense in adding engines as well, given their massive contribution to the residual value of late-life aircraft.

“Our initial focus will be on the CFM platform, however, we will be looking to expand our capabilities to cover other platforms in the near future and we’ll be offering these services to the open market as well as catering for our own engines,” said Lee Carey, VP asset management at EirTrade.

EirTrade stated that it had also invested “heavily” in widebody engines such as the CF6-80, RB211 and PW4000.