Dhanendran Sidambram worked for over two decades as an aircraft engineer at Malaysia Airlines, but it's his personal business venture that has taken him to new heights.
The 41-year-old aviation asset management consultant upcycles salvaged airplane parts and components and repurposes them into customized artwork and furniture.
"Part of my job involves liquidating older aircraft to harvest parts that we would repair and overhaul before selling back to the market. From this, we discovered that there is a huge amount of carcass along with parts from the cabin that were not reusable and destined to become scrap or aviation waste," he told The Star.
Sidambram operates out of a warehouse in the village of Kampung Baru Subang in Shah Alam, Malaysia, where he keeps around 2,000 parts, like flight attendant seats, luggage bins, plug doors, cargo doors, flight deck seats, turbofan cowlings, and even a wooden bar. He sources most of his material from Kansas City, where many decommissioned planes are stored and disassembled.
The self-proclaimed aviation enthusiast and tinkerer "can craft pieces from nearly every piece of aviation scrap" but focuses on smaller items since they are easier to customize and sell.
He and his team of four design unique pieces, like bar counters constructed from aircraft galleys and engine cowls, table lamps built out of pitot and flap tubes, and photo frames created from window shades.
His bestselling product is trolley carts, which start at $400. He has refurbished over 100 for customers and has 400 more waiting in the wings.
"People don't realize how expensive aviation things cost. We take between seven and 10 working days to make a customized cart," Sidambram said. "We buy them very damaged, and we break down every unit, rebuild and refurbish up to 80-90% (of its original) condition. Minor dents and nicks will still be visible."
Sidambram believes his company is as distinct as the creations they make since they "do not just cater to aviation enthusiasts." His clientele includes world football fans and employees in the food and beverage, automotive, and event management industries.
His work prevents many of these items from ending up in landfills, as the alloys and materials used for airplanes can be difficult to extract and recycle.
It's particularly important, considering that the world disposes of 2.12 billion tons of waste annually that releases planet-warming gases as it decomposes. Furthermore, the aviation sector was responsible for 2% of carbon dioxide pollution in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency.
"I think it's astounding that these amazing pieces of aviation history get another shot at being centerpieces in homes and offices instead of being dumped in landfills," Sidambram said.
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