Lightly Used Boeing 787 Heads to Scrapyard

Earlier this week, C&L Aviation Group – a Bangor-based aircraft supply firm – announced it will be marketing parts from a gently used GE-powered Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

This marks the first disassembly of a GE-powered 787 in the U.S., and the first tear-down of a virtually new 787 globally, according to C&L. The aircraft, identified by serial number 35507, has only logged a few ferry cycles and is equipped with two GEnx-1B engines, the company said in a news release.

One of the early 787 Dreamliners to roll off the assembly line, the aircraft bears the line number 17 and is nearly eight years old. According to data from planespotters.net, it was initially destined for Royal Air Maroc.

‘The Terrible Teens’

Once known as the so-called “terrible teens,” this aircraft was part of an initial batch of 787s with higher empty weights. Royal Air Maroc eventually declined to receive the jet, per Aviation Week.

C&L acquired the aircraft from Cloud Investments Partners, with investment funds managed by Strategic Value Partners, LLC. C&L will serve as the asset manager for the disassembly project. The dismantling will take place at a facility in Roswell, N.M., with the usable parts subsequently transported to the firm’s warehouse in Wichita for further inspection and sale.

The aircraft soon to be dismantled in Roswell, N.M. (Photo: C&L Aviation Group)

“Disassembling a virtually new 787 aircraft having only a few ferry cycles has never been done before,” said David Weiss, Managing Partner of Cloud Investment Partners in a press release. “We recognize the benefit of new parts in the market to assist OEMs in supporting their customers as well as providing a source for airlines to purchase hard-to-find parts.”

This aircraft is not the first 787 to be disassembled. Last year, a pair of ten-year-old 787s from Norwegian Air Shuttle were scrapped near Glasgow, Scotland. Both jets were initial testbeds for Boeing, powered by Rolls Royce engines.

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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