EirTrade Boosts Disassembly Capabilities, Pursues Part 145 Approval

EirTrade Aviation is ramping up its aftermarket services in Ireland through the addition of new capabilities, facilities and certifications.

It plans to begin offering its first commercial aircraft engine teardowns in Q3 of this year. EirTrade will start by disassembling CFM56 series engines at its Dublin facility for third parties in Europe.

“This is an area of the market which is underserved in Europe and will require additional capacity as engine MROs increase their level activity,” says Lee Carey, VP asset management, EirTrade Aviation. “This will increase EirTrade’s service offering and enable the organization to carry out the complete retirement of an aircraft using the aircraft and engine disassembly facilities in Ireland.”

The company recently expanded its aircraft disassembly capability at Ireland West Airport Knock through the addition of a second aircraft line. The facility is currently able to disassemble narrowbodies in 14 days, enabling the teardown of up to four aircraft per month. EirTrade recently secured planning permission to construct a new hangar at the facility that will be large enough to facilitate Airbus A380 aircraft or multiple narrowbodies simultaneously.

EirTrade is also boosting its reputation in the aircraft recycling segment by becoming the first company in Ireland to receive accreditation from the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA). According to Carey, EirTrade was already operating to AFRA standards since it began offering disassemblies in 2013, but the accreditation will reaffirm that it is performing best practices for aircraft recycling.

“EirTrade has always ensured that each aircraft disassembly at Knock delivers maximum efficiency and quality for our customers while taking the necessary precautions to ensure that the process is environmentally friendly and does not have any negative impact on the local ecosystem,” notes Carey. “The discussions surrounding the environment and sustainability are very topical at present and this is very much a priority for EirTrade when disassembling aircraft.”

According to Carey, EirTrade’s Knock facility makes sure that more than 95% of the material from each disassembled aircraft is either reused or recycled and that harmful materials are disposed of appropriately. Removed parts are cleaned before being packaged in ISPM-15 standard crates for transport. EirTrade provides a live report to customers that it says provides full transparency of the components removed from the aircraft at any point in time during the disassembly process.

Sales of its growing amount of used serviceable material will be supported by EirTrade’s new U.S. facility, which opened in June. The location will enable it to store engine and aircraft parts in the Americas and target customers in the region.

EirTrade may also soon have repair station abilities. It has applied for its first Part 145 approval through the Irish Aviation Authority, which it says will further increase the scope of its services.