Top 10 Aircraft Teardown and Part-Out Companies (2026)
Ranked: the top aircraft teardown and part-out companies in 2026, from AerCap Materials and TARMAC Aerosave to AerSale, eCube and Air Salvage International. Compare sites, aircraft and engine types, and what owners should check before booking a teardown.
Where Lessors Send Aircraft to Be Dismantled: The 10 Leading End-of-Life Specialists
Aircraft teardown used to be the quiet end of the leasing cycle. In 2026 it is one of the most contested services in the aftermarket. Engine shortages, long MRO turn times and high prices for new spare parts have made used serviceable material (USM) a core supply channel for airlines and MROs, and a disassembly slot at a reputable teardown shop is now planned as carefully as a heavy check.
The economics have shifted so far that relatively young aircraft are being parted out. In September 2026, TARMAC Aerosave and AerFin announced plans to dismantle and recycle 10 aircraft in 2026, including Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX jets, because their engines and components are worth more in the parts market than the airframes are in service.
This ranking covers the leading aircraft teardown, part-out and end-of-life specialists in 2026. Providers were assessed on disassembly track record, site capacity, the aircraft and engine types they handle, their parts distribution reach and how often lessors and USM traders use them.
The leading aircraft teardown and part-out companies
AerCap Materials
AerCap Materials is the teardown and parts arm of the world's largest aircraft lessor. It entered the market through AerCap's acquisition of the GECAS parts business, and by early 2023 it had dismantled more than 300 aircraft and stocked more than 15,000 unique parts, with dismantling at Greenwood-Leflore Airport in Mississippi and a distribution centre in Memphis.
Its advantage is feedstock. A captive pipeline of AerCap-owned aircraft and engines reaching end of life gives it a steady flow of material that independent shops have to buy in the open market.
TARMAC Aerosave
TARMAC Aerosave is Europe's best-known end-of-life specialist, combining long-term storage, maintenance, transition work and dismantling at sites in France and Spain. Its shareholders include Airbus, Safran and Suez, which gives it OEM and recycling expertise under one roof.
Its 2026 program with AerFin shows where the market is heading. Dismantling A320neo and 737 MAX aircraft, rather than only 25-year-old airframes, puts TARMAC at the centre of the new-technology parts supply chain.
AerSale
AerSale combines aircraft trading, USM distribution and its own MRO, which makes it one of the most integrated part-out businesses in the United States. Its Roswell site has more than 100,000 square feet of hangar space and storage for about 500 aircraft in a dry desert climate, while Goodyear offers 360,000 square feet of hangar space on 40 acres.
AerSale offers teardown for all commercial fleet types with scheduled slot capacity, plus component harvesting, warehousing and records support. For owners deciding whether to store, return to service or part out, having all three options at one site keeps choices open.
eCube Solutions
eCube is one of the few teardown specialists with sites on both sides of the Atlantic. After opening its first US facility at Coolidge, Arizona, in October 2022, it said it could cover almost 90% of the global aircraft market from its UK, Spanish and US locations.
eCube also leans into sustainability. Beyond harvesting parts, it sells parted-out sections and components for upcycling, which helps lessors report on how much of an aircraft avoided landfill.
Air Salvage International
Air Salvage International is the UK's most established teardown shop and a regular choice for parts traders that buy aircraft specifically to part them out. In 2025, for example, Werner Aero bought an A320-200 from FTAI Aviation and sent it to Air Salvage International for disassembly.
Its value lies in consistency. Traders and lessors return to the same shop because harvest quality, tagging and turn time affect how quickly parts can be sold.
AELS (Aircraft End-of-Life Solutions)
AELS has been buying end-of-life Boeing and Airbus aircraft since 2006, and it is one of the few independents that takes on large widebodies. In 2023 it acquired its first Boeing 777 with MTU Maintenance Lease Services, which bought the GE90-115B engines, and dismantled it at its own premises after a final landing at Twente.
That model of a teardown shop buying the airframe while an engine specialist takes the powerplants is common in widebody part-outs. It lets each party focus on the material it knows how to sell.
Vallair
Vallair offers a one-stop end-of-life service covering teardown, repairs, logistics, procurement and parts sales. It runs its main facility at Châteauroux and a narrowbody site at Montpellier, and it is a founding member of the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association.
Vallair is also known for extending aircraft life as well as ending it, which gives owners a partner that can advise on whether an aircraft is worth more as a whole or in parts.
Jet Aircraft Services (JAS)
Jet Aircraft Services operates a large teardown centre at Ciudad Real Airport near Madrid, with space well suited to widebody work. By early 2023 it had recycled more than 100 aircraft over five years, dismantled 15 A340s and torn down its first Boeing 777.
JAS specialises in older widebodies and Boeing narrowbodies, the types many owners struggle to remarket in one piece.
EirTrade Aviation
EirTrade runs a teardown facility at Ireland West Airport and added on-site engine disassembly at its Dublin headquarters, initially focused on CFM International engines. That combination lets it harvest both airframe and engine material in-house.
Being in Ireland, home to many of the world's lessors, also gives EirTrade close relationships with the owners of mid-life aircraft reaching their final lease.
Orange Aero
Orange Aero is an engine-focused specialist rather than an airframe shop. It concentrates on dismantling Rolls-Royce engines, particularly the Trent 700 that powers the A330ceo, and works with trusted partner shops for the disassembly itself.
Engines account for most of the value in a part-out, so a specialist that knows how to harvest and certify Trent material can add significant value to an A330 teardown program.
Teardown and part-out providers compared
| Provider | Main sites | Key types | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| AerCap Materials | Mississippi / Tennessee | Narrowbody, widebody, engines | Captive lessor feedstock, 300+ aircraft dismantled |
| TARMAC Aerosave | France / Spain | A320 family, 737, widebodies | Storage, transition and teardown at one site |
| AerSale | New Mexico / Arizona / Tennessee | All commercial types | Desert storage for about 500 aircraft at Roswell |
| eCube Solutions | Wales / Spain / Arizona | Narrowbody and widebody | Transatlantic coverage and upcycling |
| Air Salvage International | Cotswold, UK | A320, 737 and others | Repeat programs for parts traders |
| AELS | Netherlands | Boeing and Airbus, incl. 777 | Whole-aircraft buyer since 2006 |
| Vallair | France | A320 family, A330 | One-stop teardown to parts sale |
| Jet Aircraft Services | Ciudad Real, Spain | A330, A340, 737, 757, 777 | Older widebody specialist |
| EirTrade Aviation | Ireland | CFM-powered narrowbodies | Airframe and engine disassembly in-house |
| Orange Aero | England | Rolls-Royce Trent 700 | Engine material specialist |
Which aircraft are being parted out?
Teardown demand follows parts demand. The best candidates are aircraft whose engines and components are worth more on the shelf than the airframe is in service.
For the parts side of the market, see ACMIWorld's rankings of used serviceable engine material suppliers, USM parts suppliers and rotable component suppliers. Owners deciding between conversion and teardown should also read our guide to P2F conversion economics.
What owners should check before booking a teardown
The headline offer for an aircraft is only one part of the decision. A credible comparison should cover how the material will be harvested, certified and sold.
- Sale or consignment: decide whether to sell the aircraft outright or consign it, which keeps more upside but delays cash and adds market risk.
- Records quality: back-to-birth traceability and complete records determine whether harvested parts can be sold at full value.
- Engine strategy: agree whether engines are sold whole, leased out, torn down for parts or retained, as they often carry most of the value.
- Harvest list: confirm which parts will be removed, tested and certified, and which will be scrapped.
- Repair station approvals: check the shop's FAA and EASA approvals and how parts are tagged, so they can be sold into the markets you need.
- Turn time and slot: parts prices can move quickly, so a slow teardown erodes value.
- Recycling and reporting: ask how the remaining airframe is recycled and what data is provided for sustainability reports.
- Storage before induction: if the aircraft must wait for a slot, confirm storage terms and climate conditions.
ACMIWorld's ranking of aircraft engine valuation firms covers the appraisal side of a part-out decision, and our guide to aircraft redelivery conditions explains how lease-end terms affect the value of an aircraft coming off lease.
How teardown pricing works
Teardown shops typically work in one of three ways. They buy the aircraft outright, they disassemble it for a fixed fee while the owner keeps the parts, or they sell the harvested material on consignment and share the proceeds. Large owners often split the deal, with engines sold separately to an engine specialist and the airframe going to the teardown shop.
The total return depends on engine condition, records quality, the strength of the parts market and how quickly material can be certified and sold. Ferry costs, storage before induction and the cost of recycling the remaining airframe also need to be factored in.
Why teardown demand stays high
Airlines are flying older aircraft for longer because new deliveries and engine shop visits are delayed. That keeps demand high for parts that only come from retired aircraft, especially for the CFM56, V2500 and older widebody engines.
At the same time, lessors are using teardown more actively to maximise value at the end of a lease. When engines and components are worth more than the aircraft, parting out is often the best financial outcome.
The result is a market where teardown slots are booked ahead and young aircraft can end up in the dismantling hangar. For a wider view of end-of-life options, see ACMIWorld's guide to aircraft remarketing companies and our ranking of engine asset management firms.
Final view
AerCap Materials leads on scale, backed by the feedstock of the world's largest lessor. TARMAC Aerosave and AerSale offer the most complete storage-to-teardown platforms in Europe and the United States, and eCube adds transatlantic coverage.
Air Salvage International, AELS, Vallair, Jet Aircraft Services and EirTrade give owners strong independent options, while Orange Aero shows how much value now sits in engine-focused part-outs.
For owners, the key question is not who offers the highest headline price. It is which provider can harvest, certify and sell the material quickly, with the records, approvals and engine strategy needed to capture the aircraft's full remaining value.
Selling, leasing or parting out an aircraft?
End-of-life decisions depend on engine status, records quality, remarketing options and current lease demand. For aircraft leasing and sales enquiries, visit Blue Cube Aviation.
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