AFI KLM E&M has been developing an aircraft teardown business for several years to improve supplies of component and engine spares. In 2018, the group finalized the purchase of two Boeing 777-200ERs. The engines on these aircraft, GE90-94Bs, were checked and returned to conformity, before being made available via their maintenance shops, as an exchange solution for airlines. Several hundred parts from these same aircraft will be re-certified before being sold on or used to supply their global network of spares pools and repair shops, which the company says will result in contributing to improving service levels and cutting maintenance costs for customers.
AFI KLM E&M says is structured to be able to take advantage of the potential of these components and engines that can be re-used after teardown. As an airline MRO, it says it can assist the fleet plans of its customer airlines, enabling it to source the investment opportunities that are opening up on the teardown market. The teardown activities will be carried out in-house by KLM UK Engineering, which has approval for single-aisle aircraft teardown, at Bonus Tech for engines and other partners.
The recovered assets are inspected, overhauled and re-certified for use before supplying maintenance shops and spares pools worldwide. Alternatively, the company says they may be sold on the used parts market via their AAF Spares joint-venture. The AFI KLM E&M Teardown Management entity centralizes management and coordination of all these activities.