VAS Aero Services, a global leader in aviation logistics and aftermarket services, has been selected by Airbus to manage the teardown of and redistribution of used serviceable material (USM) from three Airbus A380 aircraft being taken out of service.
In 2018, VAS partnered with international lessor, The Dr. Peters Group, on the
dismantlement of the very first A380 aircraft ever to be designated for teardown. With this
latest collaboration with Airbus on the teardown of three A380s, VAS will have managed the
dismantlement of 13 such aircraft in total.
“This project with Airbus is further proof of VAS’s expertise in A380 platform dismantlement
and USM parts harvesting and redistribution,” stated VAS CEO Tommy Hughes. “Early on we
identified the A380 platform as an aftermarket growth opportunity and we continue to
aggressively invest in end-of-service A380 aircraft to make critical components available to
the global jumbo-body aircraft operator market.”
VAS will manage the teardown of the aircraft (involving airframes MSN 61, 66, and 84)
through its partnership with Tarmac Aerosave, a leader in aircraft storage, maintenance and
recycling based in Tarbes, France. Harvested parts will be positioned in Europe for ready
access to customers throughout the EMEA market, leveraging VAS’s vital spare parts sales
network serving MROs and airlines across the region.
The aircrafts’ LRU engines will be made available for lease, as well as harvested for in-
demand USM parts, according to VAS.
With deliveries of Boeing’s 777X platform delayed until at least 2026, there is an increasing
reliance on the A380 to fill the need for large, long-haul aircraft, Hughes noted. That
demand is putting pressure on quality USM parts inventory availability for the existing A380
assets, estimated to be as many as 175 aircraft in operation worldwide.
“The timing is right for a program focused on retiring end-of-life A380 aircraft and
monetizing the residual value of their serviceable parts,” said Hughes. “As a Best Partner to
lessors and airline operators, VAS offers unparalleled expertise in aircraft teardown and
harvested parts re-sale through our worldwide aftermarket sales network. We help turn
aircraft retirement into revenue and a powerful return on investment,” says Tommy.