ECUBE
AIRPLANE RECLAIMER FLIES HIGH ON FLEET PHASE-OUTS
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ECUBE
I PROFILE
AIRPLANE RECLAIMER
FLIES HIGH ON As the world’s leading aircraft end-oflife services provider, ecube is highly specialised in plane disassembly, with a heavy focus on maximising asset values. While sustainability, a circular economy approach and waste minimisation are at the heart of driving the company forward, CEO Lee McConnellogue remains outspoken in seeking industry recognition for the role ecube plays as an end-of-life service provider within the greater aviation circular economy. Report by Andy Probert.
FLEET PHASE-OUTS
A
viation has had a far bumpier ride in the last two years due to Covid’s impact than previously imagined.
However, at one end of the aviation spectrum – transitioning, dismantling and repurposing parts from end-of-life planes – there has been an upturn in growth for disassembly specialist ecube. The company is now the world’s leading aircraft end-of-life service provider and asset custodian, providing care, maintenance, and disassembly programmes, trusted to deliver flexible solutions for a global customer base of lessors, airlines, and parts customers.
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ecube’s focus on customer service,
is anticipating 2023 will see it handle
environmental awareness and
its largest number of aircraft across
matchmaking has created a single-
three locations in its history and
point solution.
further expand its dominance in the
The South Wales-based company has been doing a roaring trade in disassembly
end-of-life services sector,” said CEO Lee McConnellogue.
projects. In the first five months of 2023 alone, it delivered more than 16,000 com-
The three ‘E’s of business
ponents back into the aviation supply chain.
ecube began life 12 years ago when the
Spurred by growth and tapping unlimited
founders devised the company brand
potential in the global marketplace, ecube
around three ‘E’s: Environmental, Economic
has expanded to new locations in Castellón,
and End of Life services. The business was
Spain, and Coolidge Municipal Airport,
launched in a hangar at St Athan, a former
Arizona, USA. These sites help enhance
Ministry of Defence base, but expanded to
the business’ mission to lead the industry
three locations as demand steadily grew.
in sustainable class-leading fleet phase-
In 2019, the company opened its Spanish
out solutions. “ecube is progressing very well. With
facility, which Mr McConnellogue described as a “great moment to break out of the UK
disassembly numbers in the industry
and allay clients’ concerns over Brexit,
having peaked in 2019, the company
while laying down extra capacity.”
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ECUBE
I PROFILE
we are expanding to meet rising demand. All these investments immeasurably add to ecube’s global standing.”
Tapping major potential ecube opened its third facility at Coolidge The same year, it saw a record number of
Municipal Airport in October 2022 with its
disassemblies and increased market share.
first project starting in February 2023.
“We had 80 plane arrivals and dismantled
Arizona offers a stable, dry climate – per-
73 wide and narrow-bodied aircraft,” he
fect for storing and disassembling aircraft.
continued. “Of course, the pandemic had
“Also, Coolidge has not been developed
a seismic impact on the world and aviation
by other disassembly companies,”
back in 2020. Many predicted there would
Mr McConnellogue explained. “It has
be a sizeable rush to disassemble aircraft.
a runway that can accommodate 747s
It didn’t happen. In 2020 and 2021, ecube
and allows us the opportunity to set the
kept growing and retained its market
standard and raise expectations.”
share, in a market adjusting to an uncertain future.
Coolidge has already welcomed more than 20 aircraft since its launch and seen
“We are now investing in our facilities
the first disassembly project commence
in the UK to enable us to remain here for
on an Airbus A319 for Killick Aerospace. “We
another 20 years. Spain will launch a new
aim to provide our customers with a ‘one
logistics facility so it can process more
aircraft, three locations’ optionality, where
aircraft than ever before and, in the US,
the location is selected on the merits of the
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ECUBE
I PROFILE
asset funding, tax/customs, lessee, and
structures, components, and interiors before
slot availability requirements,” he continued.
the remains go to recycling, according to
“Having a facility in the US has not only
Mr McConnellogue: “We try to find a second
given ecube access to a significant dis-
use: whether it be a piece of bespoke furni-
assembly market but provided our cus-
ture, an office for a rear garden with a piece
tomers access to the same service levels
of the fuselage to work in, or a cockpit to be
across all regions. The expectation is for
converted into a simulator.
Coolidge to be our second largest base by volume in 2024.”
“It’s an important part of the business, but you still face several tonnes of material
While ecube is on track to handle its
that needs to be managed. That’s when
biggest number of aircraft this year, it has
we partner with responsible recyclers
also received UK Civil Aviation Authority
globally. Last year, we disposed of 1,200
approval to offer aircraft line maintenance
tonnes, but without that repurposed step-
services from St Athan for the Airbus A320
in, it could have been significantly more.
and Boeing 737 families and Boeing 757,
So, we stop a significant amount of
767 and 777.
material going to recycling.”
The lion’s share of ecube’s core services is primed to extract as much value from EOL
Raising concerns
planes for owners or lessees – and as sus-
“We are a part of the broader
tainably and safely as possible. “We remove
aviation industry and play a critical role,”
the parts a client needs – that can vary from
said Mr McConnellogue, “however, there
500 and 1,500 parts,” Mr McConnellogue
is a significant gap as circularity needs
said. “We look at and offer value in other
to be recognised in the 2050 net zero
parts and effectively stop them from being
pledges laid down by IATA, the governing
wasted. The parts go back into the supply
body of aerospace.
chain, achieving a circular economy.”
“IATA is completely focused on the
However, when left with the plane’s
inflow of new equipment and how it’s
skeleton, ecube steps in to repurpose
operated. There has been no end-of-life
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conversation. We need to play a part
parts distributors. Unless you manage the
in that dialogue. The current focus is on
outflow better, you end up with a growing
sustainable aviation fuel, more efficient
waste problem, something the industry
engines, aircraft routing and carbon cap-
can ill afford.”
ture initiatives. That is admirable, but we
Mr McConnellogue is steadfast that
have missed a trick as we are not talking
ecube remains on schedule in adapting
about EOL.
to clients’ needs and ensuring a price point
“Pumping the industry with new product
that represents value: “The environmental
means something has to flow out the
and responsibility elements, plus the
other end, and we deal with it responsibly.
governance we put in place, differenti-
As an industry, we are behind when
ates us in the industry.
looking at comparable sectors such
“It’s inevitable that, in the near future,
as automotive when thinking about
customers will only deal with organisations
the circular economy.
that are hitting recognisable standards
“Dealing with the secondary first
and ones that are transparent about their
approach is what we do. But when you look
performance. ecube is proud to be diamond-
at companies in automotive like BMW, who
level accredited with the Aircraft Fleet
have that approach in their product design,
Recycling Association, the preeminent
it’s clear that the aviation industry is behind.
industry group focused on end-of-life
At ecube we focus on the circular
assets. Via its Best Management Practices,
economy by taking parts from an aircraft
AFRA has delivered this standard and
and putting them back in the supply chain
transparency,” he concluded. “ecube’s
to reduce the need for new. But we are
outlook is good; and as the industry
only one of the many stake holders, be
recovers, we will increasingly play an
that regulators, OEMS, asset owners or
influential role within it.”
n
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