Changes Underway In Aircraft Recycling

Lindsay Bjerregaard September 07, 2017

Tarmac Aerosave Expands

Credit: Tarmac Aerosave

As the biggest aircraft storage company in Europe, Tarmac Aerosave receives approximately 20-25% of its revenues from aircraft dismantling. The company’s recycling process can recover 90% of the total weight of an aircraft.

Tarmac Aerosave Expands

Credit: Tarmac Aerosave

To help meet the growing demand for aircraft recycling, Tarmac Aerosave is expanding its infrastructure—including a second hangar for extra widebodied jets in Tarbes, France and a new mid-haul hangar in Teruel, Spain.

Marana Aerospace Merges with Ascent Aviation Services

Credit: Marana Aerospace Solutions

Announced late 2016, Marana Aerospace will merge with Ascent Aviation Services to provide maintenance, flight line, storage and reclamation services out of two facilities in Arizona spanning more than 1,250 acres. Marana’s end of life services combined with Ascent’s consigned part sales should increase aircraft recycling operations for the MRO merger.

PART Up For Sale

Credit: PART

Pacific Aerospace Resources & Technologies (PART) in Victorville, California, is up for sale. Bids are due Sept. 7 for the financially troubled company that provides MRO, aircraft storage and disassembly. Tiger Group, which is conducting the sealed-bid sale in cooperation with Cloud Investment Partners, says more than 250 aircraft are stored in Victorville.

Credit: AELS
Anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 existing aircraft will not be needed by airlines over the next three years, industry experts predict.

AELS Gets New Funding And Facilities

Credit: AELS

Previously, AELS had sent crews to disassemble most widebodies on location due to airfield constraints at its existing facilities. AELS is finishing up disassembly of its first aircraft in the new facility—a former Swiss International Air Lines A340-300 purchased from a European lessor.

An Innovative Approach To Aircraft Recycling

Credit: Air Salvage International

One of Europe’s first aircraft disassembly companies, Air Salvage International is one of the founding members of the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA). In addition to more conventional disassembly and recycling practices, the company takes a unique approach to aircraft recycling, selling airframes to unconventional buyers like theme parks, flight attendant schools and film companies.

An estimated 12,000 aircraft will retire within the next two decades, according to the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association. Within the end of life process, companies are looking for more cost-efficient, resourceful and environmentally friendly strategies for dealing with disassembled parts and materials. In a market valued at over $80 million a year, there have been a number of recent updates, expansions and innovations within aircraft recycling. Here is a rundown of some big players making moves to meet the growing demand for aircraft recycling.

Lindsay Bjerregaard

Lindsay Bjerregaard is managing editor for Aviation Week’s MRO portfolio. Her coverage focuses on MRO technology, workforce, and product and service news for MRO Digest, Inside MRO and Aviation Week Marketplace.