Soaring through the skies, one of the greatest human creations, aeroplanes, changed the travel industry forever. Ever wondered what happens to this engineering marvel when it is too old to fly and is grounded forever? Well, much like the way many of our belongings are dumped off, most of the aeroplanes also end up in a place called a “boneyard” or “graveyard”.
The retirement journey of the engineering marvel
The average age of retirement of an aeroplane is approximately 20 to 30 years, and worldwide, almost 700 aircraft are retired annually. The lifespan of an aircraft depends on the “pressurisation cycles”, which are the number of times an aircraft is exposed to high levels of pressure during its journey. Although the aeroplanes are built to withstand the temperature and the velocity, with time, the temperature and the velocity affect the fuselage of the aircraft, thus making it a critical element that determines the service life of the aircraft.
According to Bloomberg UK, approximately 16,000 passenger planes were grounded in 2020, which accounts for 62% of the total aeroplanes worldwide. While the fate of the retired aeroplanes mostly depends on the condition and value of their interiors, the decision to dismantle an aeroplane is taken when the value of its components is higher than its flying value, as said by Mark Gregory in an interview with CNN.
The world’s largest Boneyard
This 2,600-acre boneyard is located within the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. Sheltering almost 4,000 aircraft and 13 aerospace vehicles from the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Marine Corps and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In addition to this, low humidity, a minimum rainfall of 11″, alkaline soil and a high altitude make Davis-Monthan a perfect place for resting the aeroplanes. The conditions of this boneyard naturally preserve the aircraft for possible reuse in the future.
From taking you to your favourite destination to its final journey in the boneyard, aeroplanes are indeed a marvel of humans. While many factors determine the retirement of an aeroplane, every aircraft has a story of its own.
Which aircraft or airline is your favourite and why? Let us know in the comments below!
Great one….
maybe picky but – planes fly in the troposphere not the stratosphere