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Is there any secondary or reuse market for the first class and business class seats ( or pods) from the aircraft that fly international flights. What will happen to those first class and business class cabin elements? I am specifically looking for information on pricing, brokerage contact information, and other relevant information regarding the resale/reuse process. Please look at Cathay Pacific, Oman Air, Air France, Swiss, British Airways, Air Berlin, and Asiana.
Hello! Thanks for your question about a secondary or reuse market for the first class and business class seats from aircraft that fly international flights. The short answer is that there is a reuse market for retired aircraft parts, including seats and there are several ways in which such parts can be purchased.
Below you will find a deep dive of my findings as well as an explanation of the methodology I employed to provide you with an accurate answer.
METHODOLOGY
For this request, I searched through the corporate websites of the mentioned airlines and looked through their Annual reports to find relevant information. I also found media reports that directed me towards companies providing aftermarket services, as well as databases with used parts from various aircraft models, including first class seats, business class seats, as well as other parts mentioned in the update response, such as lighting systems, electronics, etc.
I also found out that some MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul), AOG (Aircraft on Ground) and other similar departments at airline companies are responsible for selling and lending the surplus inventory of the company, including no longer in use parts.
BACKGROUND
In the first semester of 2016, Cathay Pacific retired two Airbus A340-300 aircraft and plans to retire seven more aircraft (Airbus 340-300 and Boeing 747-400) by October 2017.
There is a secondary market for used aircraft parts, including seats, and in my research, I was able to identify at least three different ways to purchase functional business and first class seating modules:
(1) Contacting the MRO/AOG department of the specific airline one is interested in, and inquiring regarding the available inventory of seating modules;
(2) Searching for the required modules/parts by their number or other parameters in marketplaces of used aircraft parts;
(3) Contacting a company, such as VAS Aero Services, which has a large inventory of used aircraft parts from multiple airlines (including Delta, United, and British Airways), to inquire regarding the availability of the specific seat modules required.
Below I will provide more details on each of these three options.
AIRLINE SURPLUS INVENTORY SALE
Some airlines have specific departments, such as MRO and AOG, offering multiple maintenance and repair services to other companies. In their stock, they have various used but still usable spare parts, including seats from their no longer in use aircraft.
Example 1: Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance department, which provides a list of presently available A320 parts (as well as from other aircraft models).
Contact details of the Surplus Sales department are:
Pierre DELACHE
+33 1 41 75 55 45
Lucette SELLEM
+33 1 41 75 57 89
Jean-Pierre PORCIN
+33 1 41 75 52 20
mail.surplussales@airfrance.fr
Example 2: British Airways AOG and material services department, offering repair, maintenance, and also parts sales for the following aircraft models: Airbus (318, 319, 320, 321) and Boeing (737, 747, 767, 777).
Contact details:
24/7 Parts: +442085623007 (Option 1)
Email: aog.desk@ba.com
Fax: +442085620832
USED AIRCRAFT PARTS MARKETPLACES
During my research, I have found several companies who offer used aircraft parts for sales.
Dodson International is a company that specializes in aircraft inventory selling and buying, with over 30 years experience and over 5 million parts in stock.
As they mention that "Dodson International is ready to pick-up and dismantle any type of aircraft or any amount of inventory", I assume that the parts available in stock mostly originate from retired aircraft.
In their database I conducted a search with keywords "business class seat" and the results included options of first class seats, including information about the aircraft model and other details. However, there is no pricing information. The checkout button directed me to an inquiry form. The database can be searched by parts, keywords or by aircraft model.
Aviationgate is a marketplace for aircraft interiors. Here is a link where used aircraft seats can be searched.
For example, I conducted a search for business class seats no older than 10 years old and found 5 results. For the period starting from 2000 (17 years) there are 14 results at the moment. There are pictures and details on the seat condition, however, the price is not specified - there is a "Request for quote" button.
VAS AERO SERVICES
VAS Aero Services is "a leading provider of aftermarket services in the aviation industry."
The company provides airlines and MROs with the necessary inventory, including engines and parts. They collaborate with many leading industry companies, including "Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Honeywell, Hamilton Sundstrand, Delta, United, SR Technics, British Airways, Iberia, and others."
They have an online database with the available inventory that can be browsed or searched through. For example, I chose to search by platform, selected a wide Airbus aircraft model, and filtered the results containing the word "seat". As a result, I was offered 59 options, including business class seats. The condition of the business class seat I checked is "repairable, sold as is".
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
During my research I encountered several other potentially useful resources, relevant to the request:
(1) Aerfin is a company that provides exit strategy and fleet disposal services to airlines and aircraft owners, and they also buy and sell aircraft components. They are located in the UK.
AerFin Limited - Components
T: +44 (0) 1293 583 200
Newton Road
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 9TS
United Kingdom
(2) Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association - "is a membership-based global collaboration to elevate industry performance and increase commercial value for end-of-service aircraft."
On their website, there is a large directory of companies around the world providing aircraft end-of-life solutions, as well as aircraft parts marketplaces, including their description, website and contact details.
CONCLUSION
There are multiple companies that offer aftermarket services and buy and sell used aircraft parts, including first class and business class seats. There are several ways to find specific types of business or first class seats and auxiliary parts, including contacting the MRO/AOG department of the relevant airline, searching for the required modules/parts by their number or other parameters in marketplaces for used aircraft parts, and contacting companies providing aviation aftermarket services, such as VAS Aero, to inquire about the required modules (or searching through their online databases).
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