United Airlines and Astro Mechanica are in discussions over a potential agreement that would allow Astro Mechanica to purchase selected aircraft engines removed from service as United retires aircraft from its fleet. The arrangement would establish a potential supply stream of commercial aviation engines for Astro Mechanica’s emerging ground power business, giving engines that have reached the end of their aviation service lives an alternative application in the energy sector.
Under the proposed agreement, engines coming off-wing would be acquired by Astro Mechanica and re-engineered into compact aeroderivative ground power units. The company plans to use the aviation-derived technology to develop dispatchable power solutions for data centres, industrial facilities and other critical infrastructure requiring reliable, behind-the-meter electricity.
The engines covered by the potential arrangement would have been maintained to airline standards throughout their operating lives. Rather than being limited to conventional end-of-life pathways, the assets could therefore be converted into power-generation equipment, creating an additional value stream from aircraft engines after their aviation careers.
“This potential agreement gives us a reliable supply of commercial aircraft engines as we scale our ground power business,” said Ian Brooke, CEO and Founder of Astro Mechanica. “We’re building on proven, flight-certified hardware to bring affordable, dispatchable power to market faster and help meet growing demand for resilient energy infrastructure.”
For United, the initiative represents another potential avenue for extracting value from aircraft and engine assets as they transition out of airline service. The agreement would enable selected engines to move into a new operational role rather than being restricted to traditional aftermarket or end-of-life channels.
“United is committed to finding innovative ways to create value from our assets,” said Mike Leskinen, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at United. “We’re pleased to be a potential engine supplier to Astro Mechanica’s ground power business that extends the service life of engines for new value-creating applications.”
Astro Mechanica is developing a portfolio of containerised power-generation solutions that leverage technology and hardware derived from the aviation sector. Its aeroderivative units are intended to provide rapidly deployable, reliable power close to the point of consumption.
The approach highlights a broader potential application for the aviation aftermarket: the reuse and repurposing of mature aircraft propulsion technology in sectors outside commercial aviation. Engines that have accumulated significant flight hours but remain suitable for further operation in a different duty cycle could potentially serve as the foundation for stationary power-generation systems.
The company said its platform is designed to address increasing demand for resilient energy infrastructure, particularly among data centres and industrial users where dependable power availability is critical.
The proposed United agreement would give Astro Mechanica a more predictable source of commercial aircraft engines as it scales the platform. For an emerging power-generation business, access to a consistent feedstock of engines will be important as it moves from development into commercial deployment.
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For the aviation aftermarket, the development also illustrates how the value of an aircraft engine can extend beyond its conventional lifecycle. While engines removed from aircraft have traditionally entered established channels such as overhaul, leasing, teardown and parts harvesting, alternative applications could provide another route for selected assets where continued flight operation is no longer commercially attractive.
The potential United-Astro Mechanica arrangement remains under discussion, and the companies have not announced final terms or the number or specific engine types that could be supplied. However, if completed, the agreement could establish a new commercial pathway for retired aircraft engines while supporting Astro Mechanica‘s planned entry into the ground power market from 2027.
