China Aircraft Leasing (CALC) has officially launched its MRO arm, which signed on its first airline client and received regulatory approval to conduct aircraft disassembly.

China Aircraft Leasing (CALC) has officially launched its MRO arm, which signed on its first airline client and received regulatory approval to conduct aircraft disassembly.

FL ARI is a joint venture between CALC, European MRO firm FL Technics, as well as the lessor's associate company, Aircraft Recycling International.

Chinese carrier Okay Airways is FL ARI's first airline customer, and it will provide line maintenance and repair at Harbin Taiping International Airport, where the MRO is based.

Separately, FL ARI also received accreditation from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for aircraft disassembly. CALC says that FL ARI is the first entity to be an accredited aircraft disassembler under the CAAC’s CCAR 145 Civil Aircraft Maintenance Organization Certificate Regulations.

“With the fast development of China’s civil aviation industry, the number of retired aircraft continues to increase," the lessor says.

"The aircraft disassembling business has changed from a passive model of satisfying demand from aircraft retirement, to proactively getting involved in fleet upgrades for airlines that enhance the value of aircraft assets.”