56 AIRLINER WORLD APRIL 2018A
sprawling complex of
runways, taxiways and
hardened air shelters
all hemmed in by trees;
Twente Airport’s military
pedigree is immediately obvious.
The airfield, which lies around 2 miles
( 3 .2km) from the town of Enschede
in the eastern Netherlands, was
abandoned by the air force a decade
ago and, today, is designated as a joint
business airport and industrial park for
the aviation sector.
Notably, the facility has a 7,894ft
(2,406m) runway, making it one of the
few in the country that is suitable for
widebody types. It was this capability
that helped attract Dutch firm Aircraft
End-of-Life Solutions (AELS), a
dismantling specialist that prides itself
on its environmentally friendly way
of working.First of Many
Having recycled a plethora of single-
aisle jets at its Woensdrecht hub, the
company has since made the move into
bigger types which it buys in and then
parts out with a view to making a profit
from the disassembled components.
Its first such acquisition, a former
Swiss International Air Lines Airbus
A340-300, sat prominently on the ramp
following its arrival at Twente, which
will be its final resting place. The
aircraft was immaculate, anAircraft End-of-Life Solutions (AELS) recently
extended its in-house dismantling activities to
include widebody types. Airliner World follows
the fate of the Dutch company’s first large airliner.
Recycling an Airbus
AELS’ first widebody
jet was former Swiss
International Air Lines
Airbus A340-313
HB-JMK (c/n 169),
remnants of which are
seen here at Twente
during the latter stages
of the recycling process.
ALL PHOTOS
ROBERT MEERDING