Retired liner: what happens to the plane after the last flight

After you return home from a trip, what happens when the plane completed its last commercial flight? The publication understood this Reader`s Digest.

Photo: Shutterstock

What is the typical life span of an airplane?

First of all, it is important to find out the service life of an average aircraft. Interestingly, life expectancy is not measured in years. “Aircraft lifespan is set by the manufacturer and is typically based on takeoff and landing cycles,” said John Petrakis of the Federal Aviation Administration.

“The fuselage is most susceptible to wear, but the wings also, especially on short flights, when the aircraft goes through pressure cycles every day.”

Why does the plane stop flying?

Airplanes “retire” at a certain age. At this point, the aircraft goes into storage and waits to be picked up and repaired by another airline, or dismantled and scrapped. "The decision to dismantle an aircraft most often depends on whether its parts and components are worth more than the aircraft as an aircraft," Mark Gregory, managing director of Air Salvage International, told CNN Travel.

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“An airplane is taken out of service for several reasons,” says Patrick Connell, general manager of Jet Yard, an FAA-certified repair facility.

“They can be rented out and the lease expires. The operator can upgrade to size and park smaller aircraft. Typically, aircraft retire from service and are put into a storage program. These programs keep the aircraft operational. Aircraft systems are operated on a regular basis until the engines are started. This process is regulated and approved by the FAA. Some of these planes may be sold and a new operator will fly them again. The rest will be dismantled for parts, shredded or recycled,” he added.

The storage location of aircraft after they retire is often referred to as “air burial”.

What is an “air cemetery”?

After a certain period of time, the aircraft is no longer suitable for flights and is removed to the cemetery. Typically, this kind of burial is located in the American southwest, because the climate is favorable for storage. Dry weather helps limit the amount of corrosion or rust on the metal parts that the aircraft is exposed to.

“Airplanes can be stored for many years. Some are only kept for a few months until a new operator or owner is found,” says Connell.

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The Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) at Davis-Monthan AFB (DMA) outside Tucson, Arizona, has set a Guinness World Record for largest aircraft storage facility. Commercial jets aren't the only planes that show up at funerals. Sometimes military aircraft are also buried. For example, according to Tucson, the Boeing B-1955 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki in 29 was stationed in Japan at Davis Montana Air Force Base. In 1961, the Boxcar was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Can I visit the "air cemetery"?

It is better to call in advance or confirm on the website whether you can plan a tour or a reservation.

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