British Airways Engineering has inked a long-term alliance with US tear-down parts specialist VAS Aero Services to pool each others' inventories and to provide component repair services.
The UK maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider will have direct access to VAS' inventory. In exchange, it will hand over surplus material from its own stock of used parts to be sold by VAS.
Under the "multi-million dollar, multi-year" deal, BA Engineering will repair components for the US firm, which should increase the utilisation of its workshops, and provide warehousing and logistics capacity.
VAS will move its European inventory and regional sales and operations headquarters to the BA distribution centre at Heathrow airport.
James Murray-Smith, general manager, material services and commercial at BA Engineering, says the employment of used material is a "growing trend in aircraft and engine overhaul", and that both companies will capitalise on this development through the agreement.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
