Dedicated to the entire lifecycle of an aircraft, Airbus’ new custom-built service centre marks a huge step forward towards a circular economy in aviation.

Following the handover of the site from the city of Chengdu to the Airbus Lifecycle Services Centre (ALSC) in December and certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) at the start of the year, celebrations took place at the end of January to mark the start of the joint venture’s parking, storage and maintenance operations.

The joint venture is planned to obtain CAAC dismantling certification around the end of the first quarter of 2024. At that point, Satair Chengdu, which is already actively looking for the acquisition of aircraft and engines assets, will start trading Used Serviceable Material (USM).

Cristina Aguilar Grieder, senior vice president Airbus customer services, says: “The Airbus Lifecycle Services Centre in Chengdu is a major step forward towards a circular economy in our industry and in China. It will be a great place to innovate, learn, improve and support the ability of future generations to continue enjoying air travel.”

Site and equipment details

The ALSC is the largest aircraft services installation by surface area in China, spanning 717,000 sqm. It consists of two A380-sized hangars, two warehouses, four dismantling pads and a parking lot with a maximum storage capacity of 125 narrowbody and widebody aircraft.

Custom-built and with all brand new state-of-the-art equipment installed, this extraordinary site was built by the city of Chengdu for Airbus in only 14 months from a greenfield – a record even for China.

The main buildings have obtained the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for their construction, which is exceptional in particular for aircraft hangar buildings and will further reduce the environmental impacts of operations at the ALSC site.

Activities detail: One-stop-shop

Out of this unique site, the ALSC will offer its customers all services necessary to transition their aircraft from one phase of their lifecycle to another in a one-stop-shop, which is the first of its kind in the world.

Having all these services available in one location will save turnaround time and cost for the ALSC customers. The services will be performed by the two ALSC business lines from the same campus.

The first business line focuses on aircraft storage, maintenance, upgrades and dismantling. Operated as a joint venture between Airbus, Tarmac and Chengdu, the ALSC is not a classic heavy maintenance MRO but an aircraft transition centre.

Taking the customers’ aircraft in a short-term parking or long-term storage, it is capable of performing all necessary maintenance up to 24 months C-checks and light upgrades itself, and all heavier tasks and eventually P2F through local partner MROs on Shuangliu International Airport.

Having started with A320neo and A320ceo services under dual CAAC and EASA approvals, the ALSC operations will be extended to also cover the A330 Family (from Q2 2024) and the Boeing 737 and 777 types (planned for Q3 2024 and Q2 2025 respectively).

Brian Agnew, general manager Airbus (Chengdu) Aircraft Lifecycle Services, says: “This site, with its size and industrial capabilities for services throughout the aircraft lifecycle, is the only one of its kind in China and all of Asia-Pacific and it is built for future growth.”

The second business line, performing the acquisition of aging aircraft and the distribution of USM, is operated by Satair Chengdu, a subsidiary of the Airbus company Satair.

Song Zhang, general manager of Satair Chengdu, says: “The progress of the USM business in China has already had a positive impact on sustainability through reuse of aircraft parts in a cost-effective way for airlines, all while maintaining the highest standards of safety.”

ALSC expects to hire approximately 150 employees in the first years of operations and then to progressively grow the number of employees by 10‑15 per cent per year. It aims to create jobs for 300 employees by 2030.

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Dismantling process

One of the most significant aspects of the ALSC is its role as an efficient aircraft dismantling centre. Through its innovative process, brought to China by the ALS joint venture partner Tarmac, the ALSC will deliver a significant contribution to circularity in aviation.

As a result of the combination of the unique aircraft dismantling process and the harvesting and distribution of USM, approximately 90 per cent of the aircraft weight will be reused and recycled, twice the current industry standard, reducing landfill from aircraft waste to less than 10 per cent.

Based on ALS JV partner Tarmac’s experience over more than 15 years of operation as Europe’s biggest aircraft storage and transition provider, the ALSC expects to transition around 75 per cent of the stored aircraft back into service and to dismantle the remaining 25 per cent.

Chengdu and ecosystem

Amongst the locations in China assessed by Airbus for the ALSC site, Chengdu has several outstanding advantages.

Sichuan has a solid aviation industry foundation, especially Chengdu, which has decades of experience in the aviation industry and complete industrial facilities, with a sound industrial chain, providing the project with a good technical environment.

Furthermore, Chengdu’s industrial development strategy is highly compatible with Airbus; the aviation industry is one of the leading industries in Chengdu’s economic development.

Chengdu has always been committed to the development of a sustainable aviation strategy and has the courage to lead the high-quality development of a circular economy, which is highly consistent with Airbus’ global strategy for sustainable development.

Officially ranked as the most agreeable city to live in China, Chengdu has attracted abundant professional talents in maintenance with many technological research institutes, universities and maintenance companies.

A particular advantage for the ALSC customers is that around its site, Chengdu is building up an entire aviation industry ecosystem, out of which OEMs, MROs and other aerospace companies will offer complementary services such as components repair, aircraft painting and logistics. This will save turnaround time and cost for the ALSC customers and reduce the CO2 footprint of the aircraft services provided through a local loop.

Airbus’ Grieder comments: “The Airbus purpose is that we pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. Our approach to sustainability is built around respecting the planet, valuing people and enabling prosperity. This approach is embedded in our activities – from design to supply chain, manufacturing, aircraft operations, transitions and end-of-life. The Airbus Lifecycle Services Centre in Chengdu is a testimony to this.”

This feature was first published in MRO Management – April 2024. To read the magazine in full, click here.