Airbus subsidiary Satair has finalized the acquisition of US aircraft parts giant Unical Aviation and disassembly provider ecube Solutions.
The Satair proposal was first announced in November 2025, with the aim of bringing together global leading companies working in Used Serviceable Material (USM) and aircraft lifecycle solutions markets.
Unical’s itinerary includes over 90 million available aircraft parts and components across over one million unique part numbers while ecube provides aircraft storage, disassembly, and transition.
On May 11, 2026, Satair said the agreement would bring “together Unical’s extensive inventory and distribution network, ecube’s world-class disassembly and storage capabilities, and Satair’s existing USM expertise through VAS Aero Services”.
The acquisition includes Unical’s and ecube’s seven operational sites and offices across North America, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
“Today is a major step forward. Bringing Unical and ecube into our business isn’t just about getting bigger; it’s about leveraging the circular economy to the benefit of our customers. We’re gaining excellent facilities and, crucially, a team of highly skilled professionals in the USM market. For our customers, this means better parts availability and a simpler way to manage an aircraft’s full lifecycle,” said Richard Stoddart, CEO of Satair and Head of Airbus Material Services.
Sharon Green, the current CEO of Unical, will also assume the role of CEO of VAS Aero Services while Tommy Hughes assumes his full-time responsibilities as CCO of Satair.
“Joining Satair marks the culmination of Unical and ecube’s transformation—and the beginning of a powerful next phase, bringing together our leadership in Used Serviceable Material and end-of-life capabilities with Satair’s global scale and Airbus’s vision for the future of material services,” said Green.
She added: “I’m proud of what our teams have built and confident that together we will deliver a true end-to-end lifecycle solution that improves material availability, extends asset life, and creates meaningful value for customers worldwide.”
Airbus said that the acquisition “advances Satair’s strategy to provide a seamless, ‘one-stop shop’ flow of material—from aircraft storage and disassembly to technical repair management and global distribution”
Unical acquired ecube in 2024, including its extensive facilities in Coolidge, Arizona, Castellón, Spain, and its headquarters in St Athan, Wales.
