MONTREAL, Jan. 16, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Transat, in collaboration with Aerocycle, an aircraft dismantling and recycling specialist, has once again confirmed its steadfast commitment to sustainability principles by laying the foundations for a program for green dismantling of end-of-life-cycle aircraft. A recent project conducted by the partners saw two Airbus A310s dismantled in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner, with 87% of their components recovered.

The two Air Transat aircraft were dismantled at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport in July 2013 in compliance with an international standard established by the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) and using an environmental management system introduced by Aéroports de Montréal (ADM, the Montreal airports authority), with co-ordination provided by sustainable-development consulting firm Eko-Conseil.

"Environmental protection and sustainability are integral to Transat's corporate culture," said Jean-François Lemay, General Manager, Air Transat, adding: "We have been stepping up our efforts in environmental management since 2007, and today stand proudly as a leader in responsible disposal of end-of-life-cycle aircraft. To qualify as sustainable, dismantling must enable the recycling of at least 85% of the plane. With the collaboration of our employees as well as our network of partners, we've achieved a level of performance that actually exceeds the industry standard."

While there are currently no North American environmental standards for aircraft dismantling, the project initiated by Air Transat and Aerocycle succeeded in recovering some 83 tonnes of aluminum from the two aircraft, with all recycled materials processed locally. In choosing to dismantle locally, Air Transat ensured better control of environmental impacts and mitigated the hazardous materials management risk. With this project, the company is also helping create expertise in green recycling in Quebec, while supporting the local recycling economy.

"Over the next 20 years, about 12,000 commercial aircraft will need to be dismantled around the world," noted Ron Haber, President and CEO, Aerocycle. "Quebec is already an aerospace hub, and our objective is to make Montreal a centre of excellence for aircraft dismantling and recycling. We are pleased to be working with partners like Air Transat, Aéroports de Montréal, Aéro-Montréal, Québec's Aerospace Cluster, and Eko-Conseil, which are so firmly committed to environmentally responsible management of end-of-life aircraft," he concluded.

About Air Transat
Air Transat is Canada's leading holiday travel airline. Every year, it carries some 3 million passengers to nearly 60 destinations in 25 countries aboard its fleet of Airbus wide-body jets. The company employs approximately 2,000 people. Air Transat is a business unit of Transat A.T. Inc., an integrated international tour operator with more than 60 destination countries and that distributes products in over 50 countries.

About Aerocycle
Aerocycle is a Canadian company specialized in aircraft dismantling and recycling. Its team has more than 25 years' experience in safe, environmentally responsible dismantling of end-of-life equipment. Aerocycle partners with large corporations that are committed to sustainable development, primarily airlines, aircraft fleet management companies, and governments.