Airbus, Tarmac Aerosave and City of Chengdu collaborate to create China's first aircraft lifecycle services center

In collaboration with Tarmac Aerosave and the City of Chengdu, French plane manufacturer Airbus announced on Wednesday the establishment of a joint venture for China's first aircraft "lifecycle" services center.

This latest partnership between Airbus and China aims to bolster China's aviation industry, particularly in aftermarket services.

The aircraft lifecycle center will expand Airbus' presence in China, encompassing the entire industrial chain from parts manufacturing and aircraft assembly to delivery, fleet operation, and end-of-life services such as dismantling and high-value parts recycling.

The new facility will cover a range of activities from aircraft parking and storage, to maintenance, upgrades, conversions, dismantling and recycling services for various aircraft types, according to Airbus. 

The announcement follows an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in January 2022. Entry into service of the new centre is scheduled around the end of this year.

Tarmac Aerosave brings its more than 15 years of proven expertise in efficient aircraft dismantling to the project. Located in the same center, Airbus subsidiary Satair will acquire ageing aircraft, trade and distribute the used parts to complete the full scope of lifecycle services. Approximately 75 percent of the aircraft stored in the centre will be transitioned into a second lifecycle. The remaining aircraft will be dismantled with the unique Tarmac Aerosave process, recovering around 90 percent of the aircraft's weight, far exceeding industry standards.

The facility will cover a surface area of 717,000 square meters and a storage capacity of 125 aircraft. It will be situated within a comprehensive ecosystem adjacent to an aviation industry park hosting aerospace manufacturing and services companies in Chengdu's Shuangliu district.

Airbus noted that the total value of industrial cooperation between the company and the Chinese aviation industry has been steadily increasing. The figure reached $1 billion in 2020, up from nearly $600 million in 2017.