Is TARMAC Aerosave the Ultimate in European Aircraft Storage & Transition Solutions?
Discover the Biggest Aviation Boneyard in Europe
Areas With Dry Climates
An aircraft boneyard is a facility, almost always at an airport, where retired, decommissioned, or surplus aircraft airframes and engines are stored, usually for longer durations. To prevent corrosion from moisture, these sprawling airplane “parking lots” are typically found in areas with dry climates, including the Mojave Desert in California and several locations throughout Arizona. They serve three main purposes: storage, maintenance, and recycling.
Future Flying Potential
Storage is perhaps the most notable function, allowing passenger airlines, military, and cargo operators to park aircraft that are no longer in active flying service but that may still have valuable components or future flying potential. In these so-called boneyards, aircraft are maintained in a condition that allows them to be reactivated or repurposed as needed, even on short notice.
Scheduled Return to Service
Maintenance also plays a crucial role in these specialized facilities. Aircraft that are scheduled to be returned to service undergo routine inspections and minor repairs to keep them in a flight-ready condition. Additionally, parts from these inactive planes are commonly removed or scavenged, refurbished, and reused, extending component lifespan, saving cost, and reducing the need for new part fabrication or manufacturing.
Sustainability and Cost-Efficiency
Recycling is equally important when referring to airplane boneyards. Components, such as engines, avionics, and landing gear, can all be salvaged for resale or reuse. The remaining materials, including various metals, are, in many cases, recycled, helping to reduce environmental impact. Aircraft boneyards thus contribute to both the aviation industry’s sustainability and cost-efficiency by providing spare parts and reducing waste. European sites notwithstanding, well-known facilities in the USA include the following:
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ
The largest and likely most well-known, Davis-Monthan, serves as a major central hub for out-of-service or retired military aircraft. It houses a large inventory of endless rows of 1000s of aircraft, including fighters, bombers, and cargo planes, many of which are eventually refurbished for eventual resale or otherwise cannibalized for spare parts repurposing.
Mojave Desert in California
Known as an excellent solution for storing both civilian and military aircraft, the Mojave aircraft boneyard is famous for its extremely dry or desert climate, which helps preserve aircraft structures and systems. Several aerospace companies also use the area for the storage of space vehicles and similarly associated equipment.
Pinal Airpark is yet another large-scale Arizona boneyard specializing in commercial passenger and cargo aircraft storage. Many domestic and international airlines routinely store aircraft here for varied periods, with many planes stripped for parts or sold in whole to be used in service with other airlines.
TARMAC Aerosave
Conversely, in Europe, the granddaddy of all aircraft airframe and engine long- and short-term storage facilities is clearly TARMAC Aerosave. There are indeed other aircraft storage facilities in the region and around the world, including the biggest one outside the United States, which is found in Alice Springs, Australia. Another is the massive aircraft recycling operation located at Cotswold Airport – which is also the biggest privately owned airport in the UK. These aside, TARMAC Aerosave is an aircraft recycling center in France at the Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport. This around-the-clock operation maintains, stores, and recycles aircraft airframes and powerplants in what is undisputedly the largest aviation boneyard in all of Europe.
Onboarding of the 1000th Aircraft
TARMAC Aerosave is jointly owned and operated by Airbus, Safran, and Suez. Its creation was announced during the 2007 International Paris Air Show, with its main base at the Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport, as mentioned, in France. The company continued to expand and, by 2020, announced the onboarding of its 1000th aircraft since the company’s inception. TARMAC Aerosave is the leader worldwide for aircraft and engine green-focused or ecofriendly recycling. The company also has a presence in other European facilities found at Francazal Airport and Teruel Airport.
Business Jets and Utility Light Aircraft
Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport is about five miles from the city of Tarbes. It can take off and land or accommodate the largest widebody aircraft, including the Boeing 747. The airport is also home to a Daher TBM light aircraft factory. They produce a family of popular high-performance single-engine turboprops, business jets, and utility light aircraft.
The Airbus A340
The operation recycles and disposes of aircraft using an exceedingly environmentally friendly process designed to adhere to the strictest of European environmental regulations. As a global leader in eco-friendly aircraft recycling, the company has recycled well over 300 aircraft since its beginning, including over 75% of the A340s that have been recycled worldwide. The Airbus A340 was an in-service four-engine passenger aircraft that never quite caught on with airlines worldwide.
Mechanical Complexities
The company also recycled its first double-decker A380 as recently as 2019. Aircraft recycling is a complex operation, with the company processing more than 90% of the aircraft’s total weight. For aircraft engines, the company is able to recycle CFM56-3/-5A/-5B/-5C/7B engines, as well as others. Note that aircraft turbojet engines require more specialized recycling processes due to the mechanical complexities of these expensive advanced technology machines.
Toxic and Dangerous Materials
Aircraft recycling involves a unique process used to safely and efficiently decommission old and outdated aircraft that recovers valuable materials and parts for repurposing. First, in the process, all hazardous materials such as fuel, oils, other fluids, and toxic substances like asbestos are removed. They are carefully disposed of in compliance with environmental regulations. Once toxic and dangerous materials have been safely removed, the aircraft is stripped of all usable parts, including avionics, engines, landing gear, and interior components like seats and lighting systems. These are either reconditioned for reuse or sold as spare parts.
Disposal or Recycling
Next, the main aircraft structure or fuselage, primarily made of aluminum, titanium, and composite materials, is dismantled. Large sections, including the wings and airframe, are carefully cut into smaller pieces. Most of the salvaged metal is then separated and processed for disposal or recycling. Aluminum, which is typically most abundant in a modern aircraft, is melted down and repurposed for use in industries such as automobile manufacturing, residential and commercial construction, and consumer products.
Aerospace and Medical Industries
Titanium, another common material found in aircraft composition, is frequently recycled into high-performance parts and components for the aerospace and medical industries. Interestingly, composites and some plastics are more challenging to recycle. However, they are generally processed into raw materials that are then used in manufacturing consumer goods, construction materials, or for infrastructure projects. All the remaining non-recyclable materials are disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner.
The Transition Experts
TARMAC Aerosave provides Innovative solutions in aircraft and engine storage, transition, maintenance and green recycling. They offer flexible and reliable solutions for all aircraft owners and operators at every stage of the typical aircraft life cycle. Here is an excellent aircraft storage video that describes in dramatic images what the company does daily in this unique and essential aviation space. Here is another airplane graveyard video that goes even deeper into the day-to-day working of this remarkable and essential aircraft recycling company.
Lastly, here is an excellent YouTube video about military aircraft recycling.
