AviTrader sponsorship ad

Exclusive interview: “Value propositions create opportunities for part outs” [MRO Editorial] Open the MRO Magazine - April 2023 Edition

Lee Carey, Vice President, Asset Management at EirTrade Aviation
Lee Carey, Vice President, Asset Management at EirTrade Aviation

AviTrader´s Keith Mwanalushi speaks to Lee Carey, Vice President, Asset Management at EirTrade Aviation about the first disassembly of the Boeing 787 and the market trends for used serviceable materials for newer aircraft.

In February, Dublin-based EirTrade Aviation unveiled the first known disassembly of the Boeing 787 – two 10-year-old aircraft have been disassembled simultaneously off-site, with parts expected to be available by the time of this publication.

Online sources have suggested the B787s were previously in storage and operated by Norwegian.

The first two 787-8s to be retired marked a milestone for the industry but are not entirely surprising considering the market shocks that have hit the aviation industry in the last few years. For the B787, Lee Carey Vice President, Asset Management at EirTrade says the value proposition and supplying the market with more options for used serviceable materials (USM) were the key factors in deciding to pursue the project.

“The driver of those aircraft going into teardown was very much to do with the value proposition in terms of part out, and the value of those aircraft as a teardown versus other alternatives like putting the aircraft back into service,” he tells AviTrader MRO.  

Carey believes some of the reasons the value proposition is so strong is the timing relating to the first deliveries of the B787-8 aircraft which are expected to go in for the first 12-year heavy checks this year, same as the overhaul interval on the landing gear which is also at 12 years and lined up with the heavy maintenance checks. These factors will likely create significant opportunities for material consumption for the market.

Obviously, the B787s are still new aircraft, so there is very little used serviceable material on the market and EirTrade project a significant amount of demand for material coming down the pipeline because of the lack of material and supply chain issues. “Many operators don’t have much option over the supply of new material now, there is perhaps some serviceable material that is being supplied by the OEMs currently through exchange programmes. So, this is the first large source of independent material for the 787s that is available and will hopefully contribute towards reducing maintenance events somewhat for those aircraft owners,” he anticipates.

Carey is mindful that the disassembly of just two aircraft will not make a huge overall impact in terms of supporting the demand for B787 material, but it’s certainly a start. He says issues around the supply chain with new material will only increase the demand for the USM coming off these aircraft.

Aircraft OEMs will tend to keep a strong grip on spares and pricing especially where there is limited supply so EirTrade will be studying this closely. “Currently we are just entering the market and our strategy is to discount what is currently available for operators to give a more economical solution for their maintenance events.”

Carey adds that the company is keen to establish itself as the leader in terms of serviceable material for the B787. 

Back in February 2020 EirTrade took delivery of an A380 aircraft for part out following the Covid crisis that saw them enter early retirement. Several operators have now returned their A380s back to service. “We disassembled the Ex. Air France A380 aircraft but I think that aircraft is a very different product and the B787 will have a very different lifecycle.”.

While a lot of operators have brought the A380 back, many in the industry question how long they will continue operating them and besides the big flag carriers in the Middle East, it’s hard to see those flying for a long period of time.

Carey comments: “But with those aircraft going back into service, we have seen an uptick in demand for that material, however they are two very different products and we see them entering a tear down process for very different reasons.”

In terms of feedstock supply for future B787 disassembles Carey indicates that EirTrade will continue to examine  future opportunities to acquire more B787 aircraft. “I think it’s a case of having to identify a unique scenario where the value proposition makes sense and certainly it’s something we are looking at because we want to cement ourselves as the USM market leader on the Boeing 787.” Despite the demand, Carey acknowledges that future acquisitions may not be easy to come by.

Over the last several months EirTrade have worked on building relationships with shops that might have repair capability on this aircraft and Carey reports that things are looking positive. “We are very excited to be the first to market with the B787 following our involvement with the first A380s to go to tear down and we were one of the first companies to disassemble the CFM56-7BE so we are no strangers to being the first to market on a product.”

EirTrade has been ramping up its aircraft disassembly activities at its facility in Knock, Ireland West, focusing on Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Carey, believes that the company’s proven track record and global network were pivotal in securing the B787 deal and says the targeted relationships with airlines, MROs and OEMs on the B787 platform were crucial to securing this project and maximising the value of the two aircraft.

Share this Article
Friday October 3, 2025
© Shutterstock
Willis Lease Finance Corporation has confirmed that its subsidiary, Willis Sustainable Fuels (UK), will build a new SAF plant at Wilton International in Teesside. The facility will be located within the Wilton International industrial site, which is owned and ... Read More »
Friday October 3, 2025
Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the official inauguration of the new building
Liebherr-Aerospace Saline, Inc. has completed its fifth major expansion since 1993, further enhancing its aftermarket service capacities. The new facility spans 33,000 ft², or 3,065 m² and adjoins the existing complex; the most recent addition before this wa... Read More »
Friday October 3, 2025
Marc Cho, Co-Head and Managing Director of HALO,
HALO AirFinance (HALO), a joint venture between GA Telesis and Tokyo Century Corporation, has closed its eighth and final senior loan. The financing involved Crestone Air Partners (Crestone) and Blue Owl Capital investment vehicles. It supported the acquisitio... Read More »
Friday October 3, 2025
Embraer
Embraer has confirmed the delivery of 62 aircraft in the third quarter of 2025. This marks a modest increase compared with the 61 jets delivered in the second quarter and 59 in the same period of 2024. The company’s Commercial Aviation unit delivered 20 new ... Read More »
Friday October 3, 2025
Lyon Airport
VINCI Airports has announced that Lyon Airport has reached net zero emissions as of May 2025. It is the first airport in France with more than ten million passengers to achieve this milestone. Toulon Airport reached the target in 2023. Lyon Airport’s environ... Read More »
Friday October 3, 2025
AAR CORP. subsidiary Airinmar has secured a new multi-year support services agreement with Malaysia Airlines. The deal will provide the carrier with specialist aircraft warranty management and value engineering services. Airinmar is an independent provider of ... Read More »
Thursday October 2, 2025
Joby aircraft in ANA livery flying at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan © Joby Aviation
ANA Holdings (ANA HD) and Joby Aviation have successfully demonstrated Joby’s electric air taxi at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. The public flight, the first ever at a world expo, featured vertical take-off, wing borne transition, and smooth vertical landi... Read More »
Thursday October 2, 2025
IAG made a strategic investment in sustainable aviation fuel start-up OXCCU
International Airlines Group (IAG) has joined the £20.75 million (US$28 million) Series B funding round for OXCCU, a UK SAF innovator. The round attracted new and existing investors, including Safran Corporate Ventures, Orlen and Aramco Ventures, among other ... Read More »
Thursday October 2, 2025
Nav-Aids supply Black Hawk ground support testing equipment to U.S. Army
CCC has announced a contract award from the United States Department of Defense (U.S. DoD) for pressure test adapters. The adapters, manufactured by Nav-Aids, will support U.S. Army maintenance crews working on Black Hawk helicopters. These adapters will allow... Read More »
Thursday October 2, 2025
Jimmy Hill
Aviation Technical Services (ATS) has announced a major leadership transition with the appointment of Jimmy Hill as Senior Vice President of Ranger Air Aviation (Ranger Air). He succeeds Rob Hill, who is retiring after more than two decades at the helm, having... Read More »
Thursday October 2, 2025
Nico Neumann, CEO of Deutsche Aircraft and Graham Younger, VP Global Aerospace at Expleo
Expleo, a global provider of engineering, technology and consulting services, has signed a cooperation agreement with Deutsche Aircraft. The partnership will deliver engineering services for the aircraft programme and strengthen Deutsche Aircraft’s supply ch... Read More »
Thursday October 2, 2025
Engine in hangar for maintenance © Shutterstock
AFG Aviation Ireland (AFG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Aircraft Finance Germany, has successfully finalised the purchase of two General Electric engines from GE Aviation Materials (GEAM), part of GE Aerospace. The deal, concluded on September 24, 2025, refle... Read More »
Wednesday October 1, 2025
Braathens International Airways AB (Braathens) has been forced to file for bankruptcy in relation to its Airbus operations after efforts to secure fresh financing failed. The decision, taken by the company’s Board of Directors, was filed at the Stockholm Dis... Read More »
Wednesday October 1, 2025
WLFC
Willis Lease Finance Corporation (WLFC) has appointed Pascal Picano as Senior Vice President, Aircraft Leasing & Trading. Effective immediately, Picano will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Austin C. Willis and collaborate closely with Marc Pierp... Read More »
Wednesday October 1, 2025
Beyond Aero
Beyond Aero, a pioneer in hydrogen-electric propulsion for business aviation, has achieved Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL6) for its hydrogen-electric powered aircraft. The milestone has been validated through a full-scale propulsion system test campaign in ... Read More »
Wednesday October 1, 2025
The new venture BRAVODELTA will specialise in providing strategic transactional support for complex aircraft trades
Aviation experts Bryson Monteleone, founder of BPMaero LLC and formerly with PwC Ireland, and Philip Carey, founder of Engage Aviation, have partnered to launch BRAVODELTA Aero-Ops (BRAVODELTA). The new venture will specialise in providing strategic transactio... Read More »
Wednesday October 1, 2025
Conflux is developing an advanced heat exchanger, using additive manufacturing, for Airbus’ ZEROe project
Conflux Technology (Conflux) has joined Airbus’ ZEROe project with the development of a new heat exchanger for hydrogen-electric propulsion. The component has been created using additive manufacturing and is currently undergoing a readiness assessment. It pl... Read More »
Wednesday October 1, 2025
Spirit Airlines AirTeamImages
Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc., the parent of Spirit Airlines, is pressing forward with its Chapter 11 restructuring efforts, setting out a series of measures designed to stabilise operations and reshape the airline for the years ahead. Speaking before the U.S... Read More »
Tuesday September 30, 2025
Flexjet has ordered 300 Phantom 3500 jets © Otto Aviation
Otto Aerospace has confirmed its first fleet customer. Flexjet will serve as launch partner for the new Phantom 3500, an advanced business jet designed from the ground up for efficiency and sustainability. The Phantom 3500 is a clean-sheet creation. It applies... Read More »
Tuesday September 30, 2025
Honeywell and ITP Aero have inaugurated Europe’s first F124 engine service centre in Madrid
Honeywell and ITP Aero have officially opened Europe’s first maintenance, repair, and overhaul service centre for the Honeywell F124-GA-200 engine. The landmark facility is located at ITP Aero’s site in Ajalvir, Madrid. The launch was marked with a ribbon-... Read More »
ajw avitrader

2026 MEDIA KIT

VP Sales & Business Development Americas
Tamar Jorssen
tamar.jorssen@avitrader.com
Phone: +1 (778) 213 8543
VP International Sales & Marketing
Malte Tamm
malte.tamm@avitrader.com
Phone: +49 (0)162 8263049

Subscribe to the most widely accepted news source in the aviation industry!


Free Daily, Weekly and MRO Publications delivered to your Inbox!
News Alerts, Editorials, Marketplace, Executive Interviews +more

Select publications:

*we respect your privacy and AviTrader will not share your email address to any 3rd Parties.