China Aviation Aftermarket (CAAM) purchased six Airbus A320 airframes from LATAM Airlines and will be responsible for their disassembly and final disposal. Deliveries are scheduled for the second half of this year and the first quarter of 2023. The decommissioned aircraft remains will be transported to aircraft recycling facilities in Tupelo, Mississippi, United States.
The transaction marks the first collaboration between LATAM and China Aircraft Leasing Group (CALC), a company that provides solutions in the industry value chain and of which CAAM is a part.
“This showcases our commitment towards aviation sustainability”, said Luis Ayala, Chief Development Officer of CALC. He highlighted the company’s “environmentally sustainable” after-sales and end-of-life solutions. However, the companies did not specify the registration of the aircraft to be dismantled or the final destination of their components.
CAAM will transfer the six airframes to Universal Asset Management (UAM), the group’s after-sales division specializing in aircraft disassembly. It is also the first organization to be accredited with Diamond status by the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) voluntary key performance indicator (KPI) recognition program.
“We have designed LATAM’s fleet renovation program to take into account the complete lifecycle of our aircraft”, commented Juan José Tohá, LATAM Airlines’ Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability. “Through agreements with key industry actors such as CAAM, we are able to work towards this goal and uphold our environmental commitments”, he added.
