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Aircraft tear down market worth US$14.7 billion by 2033
June 1st 2025
With aircraft delivery delays persisting in 2025 and compounding problems, including more MRO for certain engine types, one solution is aircraft tear downs now an important source of aircraft and engine parts, IATA senior vice president, operations, safety and security, Nick Careen, said. Read More » The commercial aircraft disassembly, dismantling and recycling market is projected to increase from US$8.07 billion in 2023 to $14.72 billion in 2033. IATA is engaged in the development of this sector by providing its IATA MRO SmartHub platform. To date, it has hosted more than 270 tear down projects, offering up more than 250,000 spare parts.
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One example supported by IATA was the tear down of a 777-200. IATA connected the airline to 45 potential buyers and sourced 1,969 bids across 586 parts. All of the parts received bids—from APUs and landing gear to cabin interiors and aircraft skin for up-cycling.
Auction revenue exceeded tear down costs, proving the value of sustainable asset recovery, Careen said, labelling the exercise as “Korean Air’s tear down win”.
