BRUSSELS, May 14 /PRNewswire/ --     The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) has reached another
milestone with the launch of Version 2.0 of its prestigious Best Management
Practice (BMP) Guide, the industry standard for the disassembly of aircraft
engines and frames.

Three AFRA member companies have received first accreditation under BMP
Version 2.0 namely Bonus Tech, headquartered in the U.S., Orange Aero from
the UK, and Volvo Aero Services Corp, based in Sweden. These latest
accreditations further cement AFRA's position as the industry leader in
aircraft disassembly and recycling, in relation to sustainable practices and
environmental stewardship.

Jeff Kuhn, a Partner in Bonus Tech believes: 'The AFRA accreditation is a
perfect fit for our business. The new version of AFRA's Best Management
Practice Guide focuses on engine disassembly which is our core business. This
is the most credible certification process for disassembly facilities. It
will put us in a much better position to serve our customers, who
increasingly demand environmental excellence. I believe the AFRA
accreditation process gives us a lift in terms of being more competitive in
the market, all the while boosting our credibility. This should increase
business opportunities and help us stay ahead of the curve'.

The AFRA BMP guide is the most up-to-date collection of recommendations
concerning best practices for the management of parts removed from aircraft
during disassembly, as an engine or an airframe reaches the end of its
service life.

The BMP Guide is set to enhance safety developments throughout the supply
chain by encouraging aircraft disassemblers or asset owners to proactively
discover whether an aircraft or aircraft part has been involved in an
airworthiness event involving unusual heat, stress or abnormal environmental
conditions.

Ron Wolf, Vice President of Quality at Volvo Aero Services confirms that
his company is 'extremely pleased' to be one of the first organisations to
receive accreditation under Version 2.0 of AFRA's BMP Guide. 'The new
accreditation will definitely enhance our business offer of aftermarket
services, because the AFRA guide promotes and supports a safe and
environmentally responsible and cost effective way of recovering parts from
aircraft engines and airframes, once an aircraft reaches the end of its
natural life. It fits right into our core values of quality, safety and the
environment. The accreditation process is both independent and fully
transparent, which enhances its credibility and makes it the internationally
recognized best practice guide on aircraft disassembly', says Wolf.

Orange Aero Ltd's Chris Dumont believes, AFRA is the perfect organisation
to audit Orange Aero Ltd, as its membership includes so many leading industry
companies. 'Orange Aero has been involved in responsible aircraft engine
end-of-life disassembly for a number of years and has always adopted the best
industry standards. AFRA accreditation allows us to demonstrate to our
customers that we meet the highest aerospace industry standards in areas not
covered by other approval organisations. We are very proud to be one of the
first European companies to be approved under the new Version 2.0 of AFRA's
Best Management Practice Guide'.

Version 2.0 of AFRA's Best Management Practice Guide also gives a new and
clear definition of an 'airworthiness event' setting out in detail the
circumstances under which the industry feels it is appropriate to convey
information about the past history of parts. The new BMP carries
recommendations on how and when airworthiness events are to be reported to
succeeding holders or aircraft parts, in order to enhance safety

AFRA's new BMP Guide also extensively discusses the relationship between
airworthiness events and hidden damage inspections, in the context of
complying with government standards as well as safety best practice. The
guide sets out the procedures that dismantling facilities must develop to
evaluate recycling partners so as to ensure they reach industry Best
Management Practice levels.

According to AFRA Executive Director, Martin Fraissignes, Version 2.0 of
the BMP guide represents 'a massive step forward in expounding best practice
for the dismantling and recycling of aircraft engine parts.' Fraissignes
believes, 'the guide could replace existing accident/incidents statements
which provide little or no value in terms of determining the airworthiness of
aircraft regularly labelled as accident or incident damaged by the NTSB - the
U.S. Government's independent air accident investigation organisation, these
existing statements provide no real intelligence on the condition of aircraft
parts'.

AFRA is setting new higher quality standards in the field of aircraft
recycling while also helping its members maximise the financial value of
recycled assets.

AFRA is a non-profit industry association that sets standards for the
safe and sustainable disassembly of end-of-service aircraft. The industry is
adopting these standards voluntarily as is shown by the steadily increasing
interest in AFRA accreditation.

Association membership is open to any company or institution with a
business focus on the safe and environmentally responsible management of
aging aircraft. Members benefit significantly from being closely involved in
the development of AFRA's Best Management Practices and standards.

The AFRA's activities are solely funded by its 34 worldwide members. It
represents aircraft engine and airframe dissemblers, aircraft parts
recyclers, academic institutions, as well as industry leaders in the fields
of aviation sustainability and environmental good practice.

For More Information Please Contact
    Martin Fraissignes, AFRA Executive Director, +1-202-347-6896
    Website: http://www.afraassociation.org
    Martin Todd, Cambre Associates, +32-2-645-7990