aviationscouts was awarded one of the TOP 5 MROs by Aerospace & Defense Review – The Business and Technology Magazine for A&D Industry

aviationscouts is taking the lead with its distinctive approach to recycling and repurposing aircraft interiors, echoing the industry’s broader transition towards greener aviation practices.

“Our mission is to champion sustainability and pioneer a greener and more cost-effective future for aviation,” says Thomas Bulirsch, founder and CEO of aviationscouts.

The company’s clientele, comprising of lessors, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) providers, as well as smaller airlines, depend on aviationscouts for refurbished seats and interiors. These materials not only facilitate a cost-effective entry into the aviation market but contribute to waste reduction by breathing new life into old materials.

A Three-Pronged Framework for Sustainability

aviationscouts’ steadfast dedication to interior overhaul is manifested by its three-pronged technique of reusing, upcycling, and recycling. Its primary objective is to bring back the functionality of aircraft interiors by reintroducing them into the market as complete shipsets, assemblies, or components. This maximises their value and prolongs their lifecycle, ensuring each part continues to serve a purpose.

When direct reuse is not feasible, aviationscouts embraces the art of upcycling, ingeniously transforming aircraft components into distinctive furniture, bags, and accessories. This opens up a new realm of possibilities, catering to a different customer base that includes movie studios, training centres, and individuals with a penchant for unique and sustainable products.

For materials that cannot be reused or upcycled, recycling becomes the solution. In collaboration with specialised partners, aviationscouts endeavours to recycle materials like aluminium and select plastics, ensuring a more sustainable end-of-life process.

These eco-conscious practices distinguish aviationscouts from its competitors, where clients reap the rewards of lower prices, expedited lead times, and an environmentally friendly way to minimise their carbon footprint. It emerges as an attractive choice for airlines and other industry stakeholders seeking cost-effective and sustainable solutions for their aircraft interiors.

Behind the Scenes of Comprehensive Solutions

A visit to the aviationscouts facility reveals its efforts to repurpose surplus aircraft interiors and promote sustainability. It is filled with rows of gently used seats, galleys, and lavatories, as well as a wide range of components like overhead bins, light covers, passenger service units (PSU), O₂ containers, ceiling panels, infill panels, side walls, dado panels, and monuments. These salvaged interiors, sourced from aircraft teardowns, passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversions, VIP conversions, and configuration changes, are meticulously maintained.

The facility’s layout plays a crucial role in fostering strategic partnerships with key industry vendors, which helps aviationscouts compliantly perform tasks. It houses numerous workstations, each dedicated to a specific aspect of the refurbishment and certification process, ensuring smooth communication and workflow to enhance efficiency and productivity.

EASA Part-145 vendors are responsible for refurbishing and recertifying components to meet strict safety standards, while Part 21G manufacturers create dress covers and cushions. Part 21J engineering firms focus on modifications and integration, catering to every aspect of aviation component supply under one roof.

These collaborations drive efficient and timely planning, and coordination, to offer an extensive range of products and services, solidifying its position as a reliable and comprehensive solution provider for the aviation sector.

A notable aspect of the facility is its dedicated storage and consignment area. Aircraft seats, interiors, and spare parts are meticulously stored in a dry, safe, and clean environment. Each item is carefully tracked and made ready for global distribution, overseen by 15 approved and specialised forwarders. The planning and coordination for these global shipments occur in a dedicated operations area, ensuring efficient management of the inventory.

In aircraft-on-ground (AOG) situations, the rapid response team is quick to provide the necessary components and services to ensure the aircraft is operational again. This involves efficiently sourcing the required parts from its vast inventory and coordinating a swift delivery to the location, which aids in minimising downtime.

The bustling repair shop area, designated for Part-145 work, is equipped with advanced dry ice cleaning technology, and has the capacity to simultaneously accommodate three narrow-body shipsets. Skilled technicians diligently work on replacing components, servicing surplus in-flight entertainment (IFE) components, and performing electronics repairs. The facility also offers integration of IFE systems, removals, and IFE blanking services, all supported by a broad network of audited and approved 145, 21J, and 21G service partners.

A Revolutionary Online Marketplace

aviationscouts has established a robust infrastructure that provides sophisticated digitalisation of its inventory management process. The company maintains a meticulously organised online database, featuring detailed information and images of every available component. This database is the backbone of their online marketplace—aviationgate.com—and also seamlessly integrates with industry marketplaces like PartsBase, Inventory Locator Service (ILS), Locatory, and ePlane. aviationscouts’ innovative digital presence has revolutionised the way clients in the aviation industry locate and match the components they need, positioning the company’s digital expertise as a key driving force behind its global success.

With a worldwide product portfolio of more than 12,000 passenger seats across 40 different seat models in its virtual inventory, aviationgate.com streamlines the search and procurement process. Users can easily search, filter, sort, and compare seat models while requesting quotes.

The unique online marketplace allows potential customers to efficiently narrow down their seat options based on criteria such as age, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), technical standard orders (TSO), and location. This user-friendly system enables clients to find the ideal match for their aircraft and simplifies the seat procurement process for the aviation industry.

Circular Economy and Cost Efficiency in the Aviation Industry

Navigating the complex landscape of the aviation industry, aviationscouts adeptly addresses various key challenges, like supply chain disruptions, mounting cost pressures, and the ever-present demand for sustainability. Offering parts with short lead times, it deftly mitigates supply chain issues while providing substantial cost savings for its customers—typically up to 60 percent compared to OEM prices.

Illustrating its success, aviationscouts possesses numerous achievements, including the acquisition and sale of over 50 shipsets of used aircraft seats from Lufthansa Group. This collaboration has facilitated the provision of refurbished interiors for an impressive 40 projects.

In another instance, aviationscouts successfully procured four shipsets of new A330 interiors from a leading leasing company. These materials were initially destined for an order that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The leasing company received the aircraft from Airbus and converted it into a P2F aircraft. The pristine interior components, like galleys, lavatories, overhead bins, PSUs, business class seats, tourist class seats, and sidewall panels, were at risk of going unused.

Rather than relegating these materials to lie dormant or be scrapped, the company is carefully recertifying and reintroducing them to the market. This instance underscores aviationscouts’ commitment to sustainability and innovation in the aviation industry, demonstrating the creativity and resourcefulness that make it a model for tackling the sector’s challenges.

From Humble Beginnings to a Global Leader

Founded over two decades ago as a small sales agency operating from a garage, brokering spare parts and raw materials for the aviation sector, aviationscouts has come a long way, with an annual revenue of around eight million euros. Over the years, it has garnered multiple certifications, including EN 9100, while expanding its services related to parts sales and logistics, and showcasing its commitment to quality and excellence.

“Today, we are a market leader in surplus aircraft interiors with an impressive inventory of over 14,000 part numbers in stock, offering a diverse range of products and services,” says Filiz Kasim-Herr, marketing manager of aviationscouts.

aviationscouts’ specialisation surpasses industry standards and has enabled it to expand its offerings to cater to a niche market in need of flexibility and customisation, focusing on smaller projects and quick turnaround times, setting the firm apart from OEMs. This comprehensive one-stop solution has successfully altered the way lessors, MROs, and smaller airlines view aircraft interiors, seeing them not as waste, but as a valuable resource to be reintegrated into the aviation industry.

Our founder’s vision (Thomas Bulirsch) and expertise have been instrumental in transforming the industry, giving surplus aircraft interiors and components a new lease on life. With the synergy of technology and a focus on repurposing, aviationscouts benefits the aviation industry as a whole.

A Forward-Looking Vision

aviationscouts possesses a formidable global presence, with a sprawling 6,500-square-metre warehouse and shop area in Germany that houses a vast array of interiors and seats. The facility is carefully maintained with strict surveillance of temperature and humidity, pest control measures, and video surveillance, ensuring a clean and safe environment for the valuable inventory. 

Its international reach extends to partners in Canada and Singapore, where additional storage facilities are located. It also operates a smaller warehouse in Malaysia, and is currently pursuing opportunities to expand its footprint worldwide.

As its global expansion journey continues, aviationscouts aims to replicate the successful blueprint established in Germany across other locations. Capitalising on competitive advantages, sustainable practices, and digitalisation efforts, it is well-positioned to sustain its growth trajectory in the aviation industry.

aviationscouts’ enthusiasm shines through as it strives to make a positive impact and overcome hurdles in the aviation sector. Through a combination of determination, innovation, and forward-thinking strategies, it is paving the way for a sustainable aviation industry and ensuring a brighter future for all.

PULL QUOTES:

Quote 1: “Our mission is to champion sustainability and pioneer a greener and more cost-effective future for aviation.”

Quote 2: “Through a combination of determination, innovation, and forward-thinking strategies, it is paving the way for a sustainable aviation industry and ensuring a brighter future for all.”