Three more A380s to be dismantled to provide parts for other aircraft
Three more Airbus A380s will be dismantled to serve as spare parts for other aircraft of the type. The company VAS Aero Services, from Boca Raton, Florida, announced that it has been selected by Airbus to manage the disassembly and redistribution of the used useful material (USM) of the four-engine jets.
Two aircraft flew with Lufthansa with the registrations D-AIME (MSN61) and D-AIMF (MSN66), while the third A380 was operated by Malaysia Airlines as 9M-MNC (MSN84).
The aircraft were retired from operation between 2020 and 2022, amid the pandemic. The ex-Lufthansa jets are stored in Teruel, Spain, while the A380 flown by the Malaysian carrier is in Tarbes, France.
The disassembly will be carried out by Tarmac Aerosave, which has done this work on other A380s.
“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 Tommy Hughes, CEO of VAS.
According to the company, the disassembly will serve to extend the service life of other A380s amid delays in the delivery of new, large-capacity aircraft, such as the Boeing 777X.
The reusable parts of the world’s largest passenger aircraft will be stored in Europe for access by potential operators. The Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines used in the three jets will be leased.
VAS Aero Service has managed the dismantling of 13 A380s since 2018, when it first signed a deal with The Dr. Peters Group, the company that dismantled the world’s first jet of its kind.
There are around 175 A380s in active service worldwide, the majority of which are with Emirates Airline.
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