×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Thursday
16
Apr 2026
weather symbol
Athens 21°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> Economy

Why retired planes are still worth millions after decades in the sky

When an aircraft reaches the end of its useful life, all manner of parts, materials & components are salvaged from the wreckage

Newsroom April 19 12:45

The utilitarian design and the rivets holding everything together can make it feel like airliners are built to last forever. Despite this illusion of longevity, a commercial airliner can expect to last around 27 years in service. But once they leave an airline’s fleet, there are still millions of dollars worth of components hidden in their fuselage. Now a new report from CNBC has broken down what makes the remains of an airplane so expensive.

When an airline is in the market for a new craft, they’re likely to spend somewhere between $90 million and $300 million for a brand-new plane from Airbus or Boeing. So, they look to their old crafts to recoup some of the costs needed to upgrade and replace aging fleets.

See Also:

>Related articles

In Cyprus, billionaires are three Haji-Ioannou… four Russians, one Indian, one Israeli and one Norwegian

Knossos of 1700 BC “comes to life” with the help of AI – watch video of the impressive reconstruction

BBC to cut up to 2,000 jobs in largest workforce reduction since 2011

Liberal outrage after abortion pill blocked nationwide by order from Texas judge

Once an airline is finished with one of its planes, it might try to find a buyer that has a use for older airliners, like cargo fleets and fire-fighting companies. But, if this isn’t possible, it’s sent to the Arizona desert where it joins hundreds of other aircraft that are waiting to be broken down. As it stands, the boneyards of Arizona currently hold more than 4,400 aircraft in varying stages of disrepair.

Red more: Jalopnik

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#airplanes#aviation#economy#recycling#spare parts#world
> More Economy

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Europe has about six weeks’ worth of jet fuel, says the International Energy Agency

April 16, 2026

Turkey: The teacher who died while protecting her students in the Kahramanmara massacre

April 16, 2026

The US and Hamas spoke directly for the first time since the ceasefire in Gaza: Pressure for a cessation of Israeli attacks and disarmament

April 16, 2026

Karystianou comments on the debate in Parliament: ‘A hypocritical discussion on the rule of law in a country where is does not exist’

April 16, 2026

Starmer’s call to social media companies to keep children safe online: “Take responsibility”

April 16, 2026

OPEKEPE: On Wednesday the plenary session on the lifting of the immunity of 11+2 members of New Democracy

April 16, 2026

Dust persists, temperature drop – Detailed weather forecast by protothema

April 16, 2026

How a lost village could transform the global economy

April 16, 2026
All News

> Greece

In reverence, the emotional deposition in Jerusalem, see photos & video

The Holy Temple of the Resurrection opened after many days due to the war between Israel and Iran

April 10, 2026

In the final stretch for the accreditation of joint master’s degrees: Aiming for their launch in the coming academic year

April 10, 2026

Schedule for Epitaph Procession today (10/4)

April 10, 2026

Perfect weather for Easter excursions, according to Tsatrafyllia’s forecast

April 10, 2026

Easter in Greece: The customs that continue in Greek tradition – From Nafpaktos to Corfu

April 10, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα