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You are here: Experts > Shopping > Air Travel > Aviation/Flying > aircraft storage
Expert: Ismar Avdic, Eng. - 9/19/2008
Question
why do airlines buy new aircraft when there are hundreds lying in storage, when gone bust etc. have seen documentaries showing aircraft stored in USA desert all mothballed even new aircraft. you then read an airline awaiting delivery of a brand new aircraft. why don't they just buy or lease one from storage.
Answer
that is apsolutelly correct Keith. Airlines do store airplanes in deserts, you can find older 727, 737, MD-11 and so on. You see airlines do their economic analysis, and they will keep and store airplane in desert if the repair or upgrade is financilly unfeasible. What that mean airlines do still always keep 727 in desert because the upgrade for hush kits (engine silencers) are extremelly expensive and involves complete redesign of areas of airplane. So what they do put the airplane in desert for storage and try to lease same airplanes some of South American countries where hush kits are not required for airplane operations. Some large amounts of airplanes stored in desert had originally installed copton wires (very flammable types of wires, but not known in that time), so right now they are prohibitted for operations with compton wires in airplanes, airplanes literally grounded. Only fix to this is to change complete wiring on those airplaenes and that is extremelly lenghty process and has huge cost. Economists find it is cheaper to get new plane that actually rewire old one with other known problems that has to be taken care off. In long run price of maintenance, comfort, and time is key point that airline chasing.
I hope that this answers your question.
Ismar
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