Airlines Forced to Get Creative With Parts Due to Supply Chain Crisis

Some newer aircraft are being torn down for parts.

Keller Laseter

Thursday, May 01, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Delta TechOps in Atlanta [AirlineGeeks/William Derrickson]

Key Takeaways:

The commercial aviation industry is experiencing a severe supply chain crisis, driven by critical component shortages, engine reliability issues, and significant backlogs in new aircraft production.
To cope, airlines and lessors are extending the useful life of existing aircraft and employing unconventional solutions, like dismantling modern planes for spare parts, which in turn strains the MRO sector already struggling with labor shortages.
Despite these operational challenges and material scarcities, some industry analysts foresee potential for increased airline profitability due to the supply deficit, though the broader economic environment remains uncertain.

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The commercial aviation industry is navigating a serious supply chain crisis, leading airlines and aircraft lessors to adopt innovative strategies to maintain operational readiness.

Recently, aircraft lessor Azorra partnered with Delta Material Services (DMS) to dismantle an Airbus A220-300 for spare parts, marking the first such occurrence for this relatively new aircraft model. Although dismantling modern aircraft is uncommon, this situation underscores the severity of the ongoing component shortage.