In the Aircraft Cabin MRO feature in the latest issue of Inflight, AJW Group’s Head of Asset Management, Lindsay Cooper, offers insight into cabin and cockpit components harvested from aircraft teardowns. 

 

The primary role of aircraft teardowns is to provide a sustainable source of high-quality, cost-effective spare parts for aircraft operators, maintenance facilities, and other aviation industry stakeholders.  

 

While we expect ageing aircraft to be torn down, we are seeing a growing trend toward tearing down newer models such as the A320neo and Boeing 787, where there is value in cabin items and avionics, for example. These items offer low-cost alternatives to new OEM parts, thereby keeping airlines' maintenance costs down while achieving business sustainability goals. 

 

Supply chains continue to struggle in what some regard as the ‘new normal’, so tearing down the newer models appears to make sound business sense. 

 

AJW’s Head of Asset Management, Lindsay Cooper, affirms the strength and growth of the reclaimed cabin and cockpit component market, saying, “AJW routinely recovers, certifies, and stocks a wide range of cabin and flight deck items as part of its full-aircraft teardown programmes. While not every item is suitable for recirculation, many parts are viable, in demand, and fully supported through our global supply chain.” 

 

Avionics and other high-value cockpit systems entering the Group’s MRO facility, AJW Technique, undergo a rigorous, industry-standard inspection and recertification process before they are released to the market. Engineers and technicians process each unit using automated test equipment to conduct full functional testing. 

 

Cooper states that AJW has been investing heavily in inventory. While the company continues to tear down older aircraft to support operators extending the lives of their fleets, they are concentrating on more modern assets of value, including the A320neo and B787. 

 

“Acquiring and tearing down whole airframes is a core part of AJW’s business model, and with more than 90 years of trading experience, we know precisely how to extract maximum value from an aircraft’s remaining life,” declares Cooper. 

 

The Head of Asset Management adds, “Many customers rely on our exchange and leasing options to keep aircraft flying while maintaining cost efficiency.” 

 

The Group operates a robust pooling strategy for 450,000 line items of inventory, strategically placing this across AJW’s global hubs, so the business can deploy components when and where needed. Cooper concludes her interview, stating,  

 

“Only components that meet the highest standards are added to our inventory, while items like soft furnishings or low-value materials rarely justify refurbishment and are typically responsibly recycled instead.”  

 

The aviation industry’s net-zero by 2050 commitment is reflected in the sustainability benefits of tearing down both ageing and newer aircraft models.