Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) Launch New Best Management Practice Guide and Extends New Accreditation to Three Companies

BRUSSELS - The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) has reached another milestone with the launch of Version 2.0 of its prestigious Best Management Practice (BMP) Guide, the industry standard for the disassembly of aircraft engines and frames.

Three AFRA member companies have received first accreditation under BMP Version 2.0 namely Bonus Tech, headquartered in the U.S., Orange Aero from the UK, and Volvo Aero Services Corp, based in Sweden. These latest accreditations further cement AFRA’s position as the industry leader in aircraft disassembly and recycling, in relation to sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.

Jeff Kuhn, a Partner in Bonus Tech believes: ‘The AFRA accreditation is a perfect fit for our business. The new version of AFRA’s Best Management Practice Guide focuses on engine disassembly which is our core business. This is the most credible certification process for disassembly facilities. It will put us in a much better position to serve our customers, who increasingly demand environmental excellence. I believe the AFRA accreditation process gives us a lift in terms of being more competitive in the market, all the while boosting our credibility. This should increase business opportunities and help us stay ahead of the curve’.

The AFRA BMP guide is the most up-to-date collection of recommendations concerning best practices for the management of parts removed from aircraft during disassembly, as an engine or an airframe reaches the end of its service life.

The BMP Guide is set to enhance safety developments throughout the supply chain by encouraging aircraft disassemblers or asset owners to proactively discover whether an aircraft or aircraft part has been involved in an airworthiness event involving unusual heat, stress or abnormal environmental conditions.

Ron Wolf, Vice President of Quality at Volvo Aero Services confirms that his company is ‘extremely pleased’ to be one of the first organisations to receive accreditation under Version 2.0 of AFRA’s BMP Guide. ‘The new accreditation will definitely enhance our business offer of aftermarket services, because the AFRA guide promotes and supports a safe and environmentally responsible and cost effective way of recovering parts from aircraft engines and airframes, once an aircraft reaches the end of its natural life. It fits right into our core values of quality, safety and the environment. The accreditation process is both independent and fully transparent, which enhances its credibility and makes it the internationally recognized best practice guide on aircraft disassembly’, says Wolf.

Orange Aero Ltd’s Chris Dumont believes, AFRA is the perfect organisation to audit Orange Aero Ltd, as its membership includes so many leading industry companies. ‘Orange Aero has been involved in responsible aircraft engine end-of-life disassembly for a number of years and has always adopted the best industry standards. AFRA accreditation allows us to demonstrate to our customers that we meet the highest aerospace industry standards in areas not covered by other approval organisations. We are very proud to be one of the first European companies to be approved under the new Version 2.0 of AFRA’s Best Management Practice Guide’.

Version 2.0 of AFRA’s Best Management Practice Guide also gives a new and clear definition of an ‘airworthiness event’ setting out in detail the circumstances under which the industry feels it is appropriate to convey information about the past history of parts. The new BMP carries recommendations on how and when airworthiness events are to be reported to succeeding holders or aircraft parts, in order to enhance safety

AFRA’s new BMP Guide also extensively discusses the relationship between airworthiness events and hidden damage inspections, in the context of complying with government standards as well as safety best practice. The guide sets out the procedures that dismantling facilities must develop to evaluate recycling partners so as to ensure they reach industry Best Management Practice levels.

According to AFRA Executive Director, Martin Fraissignes, Version 2.0 of the BMP guide represents ‘a massive step forward in expounding best practice for the dismantling and recycling of aircraft engine parts.’ Fraissignes believes, ‘the guide could replace existing accident/incidents statements which provide little or no value in terms of determining the airworthiness of aircraft regularly labelled as accident or incident damaged by the NTSB - the U.S. Government’s independent air accident investigation organisation, these existing statements provide no real intelligence on the condition of aircraft parts’.

AFRA is setting new higher quality standards in the field of aircraft recycling while also helping its members maximise the financial value of recycled assets.

AFRA is a non-profit industry association that sets standards for the safe and sustainable disassembly of end-of-service aircraft. The industry is adopting these standards voluntarily as is shown by the steadily increasing interest in AFRA accreditation.

Association membership is open to any company or institution with a business focus on the safe and environmentally responsible management of aging aircraft. Members benefit significantly from being closely involved in the development of AFRA’s Best Management Practices and standards.

The AFRA’s activities are solely funded by its 34 worldwide members. It represents aircraft engine and airframe dissemblers, aircraft parts recyclers, academic institutions, as well as industry leaders in the fields of aviation sustainability and environmental good practice.

For More Information Please Contact Martin Fraissignes, AFRA Executive Director, +1-202-347-6896 Website: www.afraassociation.org Martin Todd, Cambre Associates, +32-2-645-7990

Source: Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association

For More Information Please Contact: Martin Fraissignes, AFRA Executive Director, +1-202-347-6896; Martin Todd, Cambre Associates, +32-2-645-7990