It’s best to plan though, as there are boneyards that don’t permit tourists or visitors, especially when they have areas with controlled access. You can visit aircraft boneyards to view the museums and airfields, or to see what you can purchase. Aircraft parts reclamation and/or part-out.The temporary storage of aircraft, since some airplanes would return to service or keep as surplus.These areas would provide different services, such as: You can find many of these airplane boneyards around the world, such as in the deserts of the USA and other countries like the UK, France, Spain, Australia, and more. The scraps would be broken down into scrap metal, which is then smelted into ingots, recycled, and made to become soft drink cans, skateboards, and the like. Such aircraft are kept for storage with maintenance or will have their parts removed for resale or reuse, with the rest of the parts scrapped. Junk, used, old airplanes would be scrapped in areas called an aircraft boneyard or graveyard, which is a storage facility for retired aircraft. To avoid huge storage costs (it can cost $60,000 to store Boeing 747s monthly), airlines would sell their intact model planes to overseas carriers. They will then be given the choice of whether to replace the parts with new or secondhand components or to decommission the aircraft entirely. When an airliner or aircraft costs more than it makes, or if it doesn’t pass industry standards anymore, then that’s when it’s time to retire it for selling.Īirlines may use maintenance programs, which are designed by manufacturers, to identify whether the aircraft components are over-fatigued by pressurization. Short-haul airliners would usually have shorter lifespans, while long-haul ones would last longer. With that said, commercial airliners would usually reach the end of their lifespan in about 25 years or so.īesides the aircraft’s age, there are more factors to consider here, such as its pressurization cycles, its fuel price, and efficiency, updated aviation guidelines technical obsolescence, depreciation, operational costs, and more. There’s no set industry rule or standard in terms of the exact times aircraft would reach the end of their lifespans. If you’re wondering about junk airplanes for sale, here are frequently asked questions: First thing’s first: When should airplanes be scrapped? That way, you’ll be able to prepare and know where to get an abandoned Boeing 747 of a World War II bird for sale.
In this article, we’ll give you an idea about the costs as well. First, read on to find out about the largest aircraft graveyards. Some use retired plane elements in decor, others refurbish and reuse in operable jets.Īircraft graveyard is the perfect place to find the treasure: fuselage and parts for sale. You just have to make sure you understand the process of how they are scrapped and recycled. Older civil airplanes and even forgotten war birds are available for rebirth. Whether it’s for business or personal use – there’s a great use to them. This is a good opportunity for those interested in investing in abandoned planes and parts. Since the pandemic airlines started to retire part of their aircraft fleet. Have you ever wondered what happens to airplanes that have reached their prime and are ready to be scrapped? Where do they go? What are the airplane graveyards and where are those located in the US? If you’re looking for answers to these questions, read on. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.