British carrier Virgin Atlantic has appointed Bii.aero, a leading provider of aircraft parts and services to the airline industry, to oversee the consignment and storage process for its large inventory of surplus parts of its discontinued Boeing 747-400, Airbus A340-600 and A330-200.
The material to be registered includes engines, auxiliary power units (APUs) and avionics. From the partnership of both companies, the parts will increase the portfolio of materials available to meet the demand for spare parts globally.
Virgin Atlantic said it chose Bii after a competitive bidding process that took into account «the organisation’s highly experienced team and its reputation for specialist consignment management». The specialised company will store, manage and market the parts, thereby generating revenue for both companies.
The model is also tailored to the needs and requirements of each customer. Aircraft components taken out of commercial service will be sold, exchanged or leased, depending on each case.
All the material will be transported from Virgin Atlantic’s warehouses in Cardiff, Wales, to Bii’s storage facility near London-Gatwick Airport over a period of around 90 days. After an initial inspection, a small percentage that is not reusable will require relabelling, which will be handled by the in-house repair management team.
«We were keen to find a partner that would prioritise our material and be in a position to pro-actively reach the market to gain revenue from the stock quickly», said Martyn Haines, Virgin Atlantic’s Head of Supply Chain and Commercial. «Having a support company like Bii that will dedicate staff and facilities to make it happen as a priority was essential to meet our objectives», he added.
See also: Virgin Atlantic schedules first Airbus A330neo routes
