The planes are at a 'boneyard' in Arizona, a salvage facility where planes are sent to be stored. Pinal Airpark (MZJ) in Marana, Arizona is another, slightly smaller, graveyard making use of the Arizona sun. The comments below have not been moderated. It was originally known Marana Army Air Field.. On the grounds of the airport are a variety of tenants, both private sector and government. Airlines have been forced to cut back on services due to the coronavirus pandemic, with many countries closing their borders to foreign travelers in unprecedented efforts to flatten the curve of infections. Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, and even Aer Lingus have been recent visitors to the airfield located along the interstate that connects Phoenix and Tucson. Arizona is well-known as a snowbird paradise—for both the flying and biped kind—because of the mild winters … The nearby research facilities mean most planes here have significant parts missing. The boneyard is scattered with 747s that operated for airlines around the world. Based in Montpellier, France. Stunning aerial pictures show hundreds of aircraft parked in a desert 'boneyard' after airlines including Delta and United placed them in long-term storage as flight operations are cut to around 5% of normal operations due to the coronavirus. It’s known as an aircraft boneyard. A row of 747s at Pinal Airpark (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Connor O’Shea). Stratus Aero Partners is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air T Inc. The Airpark can hold around 370 aircraft in total but space appears to be filling up fast with new arrivals daily. The 'boneyard' was already home to hundreds of retired commercial and military aircraft but now major airlines have parked up huge amount of their fleets for the foreseeable future. The small airpark in Marana, Ariz. houses tails from around the world — a representation of sorts for the sheer globalization of the airline industry. Southern California Logistics Airport also has space to disassemble 12 aircraft at a time as well as maintenance space for 20 aircraft in massive hangars. The airport is storing a wide variety of aircraft from 737s, 777s, 757s, MD-11, and A340s. This map was created by a user. Air Canada and its low-cost subsidiary, Rouge, have sent about 30 aircraft, JetBlue have parked up almost 100 of its aircraft as demand for flights has plummeted by some 95% with no end in sight, JetBlue's Airbus A320, A319 and regional jet Embraer aircraft can all be seen in this aerial shot of the airpark, Air Canada aeroplanes grounded by coronavirus have had to find indefinite parking spaces in the deserts of the Southwest, Aircraft from various carriers including Air Canada were flown to the park in Marana, Arizona, where they will remain for the foreseeable future, The aircraft are packed snug and tight on the airfield. The demand for travel has plunged worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, as business and leisure travelers cancel their trips. (Jennifer Nalewicki) There are approximately 140 planes currently parked at Pinal Airpark. After a plane’s final flight, most will be sent to these graveyards where they will be stored indefinitely. There is also a repair and maintenance facility. Some older aircraft that were due to be retired in the coming year will now likely not fly ever again, There's still space for plenty more planes to be placed into storage including for smaller regional jets like these, pictured, The Airpark is mainly used as a 'boneyard' for commercial planes, with older planes stored there with the hope that the desert climate will stop them from rusting, The Airpark can hold around 370 aircraft in total but space appears to be filling up fast with new arrivals daily, Steep cuts to domestic and international air travel has seen smaller jetliners to join the wide-body aircraft typically used for long-haul flights, Many of the aircraft early on came from Delta Air Lines. Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. While the loss of an aircraft due to retirement is often a solemn affair for an airline, the mechanics in Marana see it as an opportunity. We are the emerging leader in end-of-service solutions for aircraft worldwide. Pinal Airpark’s single 6,849ft runway has welcomed many commercial jets, including several Boeing 747-8s. A Boeing 737 being dismantled at Pinal Airpark (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Connor O’Shea). Dry climates have less salt in the air meaning that erosion is minimal at best. Though this is believed to be “where airplanes go to die,” as one blog wrote in a headline, it’s actually where the parts that make up the plane will get a second life. Emirates Economy vs Etihad Economy – What Airline Is Best? Located in Marana, Ariz., this small, single-runway airfield houses retired aircraft from around the world. Ranks of jets are seen lined up at Pinal Airpark, 90 miles south of Phoenix, where the dry desert air helps to keep them in good condition and stops them from rusting while they are not being used during the global health crisis. Planes don’t come here to die, they come here so that other planes may live. Among the array of metal parts and fuselages that sit throughout the property, there is a very specific theme. Cookies store useful information on your computer to help us improve the efficiency and relevance of our site for you. The Evolution Of Long Haul Business Class, Australian Airlines Up Domestic Schedules As Borders Open Up, San Francisco Runs Out Of COVID Tests Ahead Of Thanksgiving, IATA Expects More Latin American Carriers To File For Bankruptcy. However, some of these will likely be returning to service as the airpark provides maintenance as well as short-term storage. Ascent’s facility encapsulates different times within the airline industry and bears witness to some of the world’s most iconic aircraft. The airpark has seen a sharp upswing in the number of stored aircraft due to the global pandemic. Nearby Southern California Logistics Airport is currently serving as a mass storage location for grounded Boeing 737 MAX jets. Nearly 25 aircraft arrive at the aircraft boneyard each week, around five per day, with around 300 total to be stored at the airport by May. Airlines are paying not only for the parking spots and for technicians to ensure that the planes are ready to go should they be needed again. While their time in the sky has long passed, their parts continue to prove useful to current sky-bound aircraft. Be in the know. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. In some cases, they are essential to making the site work properly. In the U.S. alone, the numbers of passengers traveling are just 5% what would normally be expected, meaning there has been a whopping 95% decline travel. It’s known as an aircraft boneyard. Parent is in charge of the company’s reclamation division which works to tear-down an aircraft, re-certify its parts and return them to the customer to be used onboard other aircraft. No matter the size of a project, we strictly adhere to all safety and environmental requirements for aircraft disassembly and storage. According to Ascent, the way in which the aircraft is torn down depends mostly on the customer’s needs. We use ads to keep our content free. Pinal Airpark’s single 6,849ft runway has welcomed many commercial jets, including several Boeing 747-8s. Now, the industry is widely transitioning to twin-engine jets that prove to be far more efficient on many fronts. Mainly housing regional jets for the likes of Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, it also has several old war jets. What can be seen at a boneyard, particularly in Marana, isn’t just mangled airplanes but, rather, a generational shift within the aviation sector. Jet Yard is a Stratus Aero Partners company. The stretch of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson is filled with its fair share of oddities. Take a look at before and after. However, some of these have now moved to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. A Boeing 747 sits as mechanics work to dismantle the jet (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Connor O’Shea). Once the to-be-reused parts have been removed from the airframe, there’s plenty of aluminum left over. The airport isn’t open to visitors, but as it still operates as a commercial hub to alleviate pressure on Phoenix International Airport, it’s not hard to get a good look at the jets. At the airfield in Marana, Arizona, the skeletons of old workhorses, including some from airlines that do not exist anymore, can be found baking in the desert sun. When a newly-retired airplane lands in Marana, the work begins. There is an extensive collection of the carrier’s old Boing 757s as well as the MD-80s. Jet Yard’s team of FAA licensed airframe and powerplant technicians have global experience with the environmental, safety and security aspects of aircraft storage and dismantling. At the start of the outbreak, the park saw an average of five new arrivals per day. Copyrights © 2019All Rights Reserved by JetYard, Designed by Ambry Hill Technologies. Familiar names such as Atlas Air and Southern Air are sat in the Californian sun. A 737 flight deck stripped of its avionics (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Connor O’Shea). Airplane Graveyard / Tucson, Arizona. Known in the industry as an aircraft boneyard, Pinal Air Park is where aircraft are housed for long-term storage. Just about halfway between Arizona’s two largest cities lies a ranch where visitors can stop by to feed ostriches and stingrays — in the same visit — smack-dab in the middle of the desert.