"The Last Flight" - What Happens to Airplanes After They Are Decommissioned

Decision on withdrawal Aircraft taken out of service by the management of a specific airline. Most often, analysts rely on the economic efficiency of the aircraft. The withdrawal of some models is often due to the release of new generations in the lines.


For example, modern Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 consume 25-30% less fuel than previous generations. Therefore, using the latter becomes financially unprofitable over time.

In addition, the ratio of profit from the aircraft to the cost of its maintenance also plays a significant role. The older a particular specimen is, the more often it is necessary to conduct inspections, maintenance, and the more difficult it is to find spare parts for it.


So, the plane has been "written off". Now we propose to consider the most common scenarios of its final "path".

Conversion of passenger modifications into cargo ones

A common practice for extending the service life of decommissioned airliners is refitting. This applies mainly to passenger aircraft. The process of "conversion" involves sealing the windows, installing a loading "door" and dismantling the cabin.


In this way, the aircraft receive a kind of "second life" in a different format. In addition, there are cases when obsolete passenger aircraft of major airlines are transferred to regional offices. There are also cases of selling aircraft to less affluent third countries.

Recycling and disposal

When there is nothing left to "convert", it is common to move on to the recycling and disposal stage. The process has become widespread and involves dismantling aircraft for parts and selling them for reuse.

The annual turnover of this segment at the global level reaches about 6 billion dollars (600 billion rubles). And we are talking only about official data. No one knows exactly how many airliners are dismantled in a "gray" way.


The most popular components are engines, avionics, and lighting equipment. The second most popular category is interior elements, as well as portholes.

After the process of dismantling spare parts is completed, the fuselage and "remnants" are sent for recycling. It is noteworthy that up to 30 tons of valuable metals can be obtained from large airliners. For example, in addition to aluminum, this list also includes titanium.

Russian storage facilities for old aircraft

The most famous place where decommissioned planes were left in the past was Khodynka Field. At the beginning of the 2003th century, an airfield was built here, which served the needs of aviation. In XNUMX, the last plane took off from its runway, after which the area was closed.


Initially, a museum was planned to be opened on this site, but it so happened that most of the "exhibits" were handed over for scrap. Today, this location is a park, the central alley of which was once an airstrip.

Another "aircraft graveyard" is located in Kazan. Visitors are allowed into its territory, but most of the exhibits are "empty" fuselages. Any valuable parts were dismantled for reuse.

Domodedovo also has a special area where decommissioned aircraft are located. It is located on the airport territory in the open air. The "bored" aircraft are clearly visible during takeoff and landing, as well as from the windows of the Moscow terminal.

A small museum in Kurgan is also worth mentioning. It is dedicated to the aviation of the Soviet Union. There you can see MiG-19P, various Sukhois, Anas and Yaks.

The world's largest storage and recycling centers

Aircraft, after being decommissioned, are often sent to long-term storage in special centers. As a rule, they are located in places with arid climates.

The choice of this zone is dictated by the minimization of the risk of corrosion. In a humid environment, the oxidation process occurs much faster.


If we look at aircraft storage in a global context, one of the largest centers is considered to be the Davis-Monthan base in Arizona (USA). Its area is 10 sq. km.

There are thousands of aircraft units from all over the world. The location is in demand due to its desert climate, which makes it much easier to "preserve" the aircraft.

Another storage center is located in Spain, on the territory of the Tiruell airport. This site specializes in the maintenance and long-term storage of airliners. The air harbor is located at an altitude of one thousand meters above sea level, which also ensures low humidity.