Airlines are taking planes apart in an effort to deal with current supplier shortages.
In AvTalk, Flightrader24’s podcast, it was revealed that ‘a bunch’ of airlines are taking apart some aircraft to keep their others flying. Delta is said to be chopping up one of the ex-Egypt Air A220s for spares, as part of a new partnership between DL and Azorra, which owns the Egypt Air A220s. It’s understood that DL is leasing the engine, while taking additional parts as spares, a move that comes as AvTalk says ‘no one can get parts for their airplanes’. AirFin is also said to be acquiring a bunch of A320 neos to chopping them up for parts. AvTalk believes that Go First’s A320 neos, which have sat around while the airline fought bankruptcy and lessors, are also going to be sold off for parts. The podcast highlighted an Air Canada A220 which went out of service in 2022 after the roof hatch was left ajar and rain got inside the cockpit. It has only just started flying again. The delay in its return to the air was cited that it took three calendar years to source the required parts.
. . . A6-EDF Returns
Meanwhile, aircraft shortages have seen Emirates bring back its oldest A380, with A6-EDF in the air once again. Flightrader24 notes that the aircraft has spent most of the past five years in storage, but after a successful test fight, it is now flying on routes ex Dubai to Cairo, Jeddah and Zurich.
