Airbus and its subsidiary Tarmac Aerosave will open the first aircraft recycling center in China, the European aircraft manufacturer announced in a statement on Tuesday, which signed a memorandum of understanding to this effect with the city of Chengdu, in the south -west of the country.
“
We expect an exponential increase in the number of aircraft withdrawn from the market in China in the next 20 years
,” said Klaus Roewe, director of customer service at Airbus, quoted in the press release.
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The aircraft manufacturer "
is committed to investing in the region and this unique site - the first in China and outside Europe - allows Airbus to take a position in the aircraft recycling market in China
", he said. added.
A formal agreement must be signed in mid-2022, before the center is scheduled to open at the end of 2023. The site will cover an area of 690,000 m² and will have a storage capacity of 125 aircraft.
Detached pieces
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, hosts the site of the Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac and is at the heart of the aeronautical industry in China.
According to the Airbus press release, Tarmac Aerosave will offer parking services, but also maintenance, modernization, transformation, dismantling and recycling for different types of aircraft.
Another subsidiary of Airbus, Satair, will be installed in the same center with the mission of buying old planes and then reselling them as spare parts.
"
This is a new concrete contribution to the sustainable development of the aeronautical industry
", welcomed Klaus Roewe.
There are already Tarmac Aerosave sites in Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées), but also in Teruel (Spain), Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) and Vatry (Marne).
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The company, a subsidiary of Airbus, Safran and Suez founded in 2007, has set itself the task of recycling aircraft arriving at the end of their life in an eco-responsible manner, but also provides a storage and maintenance service.
