KLM UK Engineering Opens Aircraft Dismantling & Recycling Solutions Centre

Paris, Amstelveen, 7 January 2014 – KLM UK Engineering, the Norwich based regional and narrow body aircraft MRO provider, a KLM subsidiary operating within the AFI KLM E&M network, has unveiled its brand new facility for the dismantling and recycling of aircraft. The recycling solutions centre was declared open on 11th December at a ceremony that included aviation executives and local dignitaries. KLM UK Engineering Managing Director, Paul Chun, climbed aboard a mechanical digger to recover the first parts of the wing of a BAe 146 Avro RJ.

Cradle-to-cradle service
The new facility is unique to East Anglia and is believed to be one of a handful of aircraft recycling centres in Europe. The development offers a cradle-to-cradle service for a whole range of aircraft including Boeing 737s, Airbus A320s, Fokker50/70/100s and BAe 146/Avro RJs. KLM UK Engineering is now licensed to service aircraft from the day they commence operations until they are removed from service, a potential time frame of 20 years or 18 million air miles.

Saving costs and environment
The dismantling and recycling facility ensures that licensed and serviceable aircraft components can be recovered and reconditioned by the team of aircraft engineers at KLM UK Engineering and stored for reuse or for sale. Fuel, lubricants and other potential pollutants can be safely drained and carefully disposed of aircraft bodywork can be cut up and recycled.

Ten engineering jobs will be created by the implementation of the recycling solutions centre. In the first year KLM UK Engineering anticipates that 12 aircraft will be handled at the centre with the figure doubling up to 24 by the second year.

Paul Chun, Managing Director of KLM UK Engineering told visitors to the opening ceremony “To operate from cradle to cradle in this way gives us a range of options to offer our customers. The new facility builds on our core business of maintaining aircraft and what we are really proud of is that we have developed it from the skills we already have within our staff.”

KLM UK Sales Director Dave Spalding added “We have customers queuing up and we already have 4 aircraft on site for disposal. Globally the aviation industry has 12,000 aircraft which will need to be scrapped in the next 20 years so we see huge potential for our new dismantling & recycling facility.”