Two Boeing 787 Dreamliners are to be scrapped for spare parts at Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

EirTrade Aviation, the Dublin-based global aviation asset management and trading company, will manage the disassembly and consignment of the world’s first two B787-8s to be retired from commercial service. 

First flown commercially in 2011, the 787-8 or Dreamliner, remains Boeing’s flagship widebody aircraft and, to date, has never been retired from commercial service.

The two 10-year-old aircraft will be disassembled simultaneously off-site, with parts expected to be available later this year. 

READ MORE: Glasgow Prestwick bids to become ‘boneyard’ amid plane recycling boom

Ken Fitzgibbon, CEO of EirTrade Aviation says that the disassembly of the two B787 aircraft could not come at a better time.

He said: “As no B787s have been retired from commercial service to date, there is almost no used serviceable material (USM) market for this platform at the moment. 

“We are entering into a specialist area and hope to become a market leader in the provision of USM for the platform which will enable the reduction of the cost of maintenance events for B787 aircraft owners.”

The disassembly process at Prestwick is expected to take around three months in total.

The process will be managed by Steven Trowell, Hangar Manager for EirTrade, who said there has been “huge interest” in the aircraft. 

He said: “There will, of course be challenges along the way and were the disassembly taking place at our own facility in Knock, it would have afforded us a greater degree of flexibility in terms of manpower, tooling, and logistics. 

“However, any potential disruption to the schedule will be kept to a bare minimum and we are privileged to be given the opportunity of disassembling the first 787-8s.”