Construction of a $100 million aircraft recycling facility in North Carolina

NAAI   •   JUNE 19, 2020

Aircraft recycling facility construction in Kinston North Carolina

For the sustainable recycling of aircraft, the company North American Aerospace Industries (NAAI), which is a provider of sustainable end-to-end solutions for aircraft recycling, announced the construction of an aircraft recycling facility at North Carolina’s Global TransPark in Kinston. Due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, the start of development has delayed, but the company is optimistic that the facility will be operational in the second quarter of 2021.

The facility will comprise one of the largest hangars in the world, where dismantling, MRO and painting work will carry out. “We are making some critical hires, including our interim CEO and our Head of Innovations, and are looking to start construction this summer,” said Sven Daniel Koechler, Ph.D., General Manager of North American Aerospace Industries (NAAI). The first step will be to create 475 jobs and an investment of approximately $100 million in the new aircraft recycling center.

“Our state’s aerospace industry is taking off with the Global TransPark as a hub in rural eastern North Carolina,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “From first in flight to first in skilled workers, global companies like NAAI will find North Carolina to be a great place to grow and thrive.”

Breaking new ground in recycling technology

Once the facility is operational, decommissioned commercial and military aircraft will be recycled at Kinston using a proprietary new recycling technology. This technology allows the company to recycle significantly more aircraft each year than traditional methods can handle. With our proprietary recycling technology, we can recover many more aircraft per year; for instance, up to 70 additional twin-engine narrow-body airplanes,” said Koechler.

Finally, aircraft parts such as engines, landing gear, avionics and in-flight entertainment systems are reconditioned and sold on the aircraft aftermarket. The mission and passion of North American Aerospace Industries (NAAI) is to use and upgrade every part of the aircraft to create a new product. This could be, for example, a new pair of sneakers made from aircraft seat material. Thus, the long-term goal of the aircraft recycling company is to expand the recycling operation by setting up various production facilities so that the recycled materials can use to manufacture new products for several industries.

Empower for North Carolina’s economy

The North American Aerospace Industries (NAAI) project will bring nearly $958 million to the North Carolina economy. It will be facilitated in part by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Depending on job functions, wages will vary, but will exceed the current average salary of $36,766 in Lenoir County and reach up to $47,069.

Furthermore, extensive investments in municipal and philanthropic projects are also planned. The company’s employees are trained based on successful German personnel development programs and are offered generous social benefits and housing. Based on a zero-waste philosophy, the company will advise the Kinston community on optimizing its recycling program.