Planes in California desert worth more in parts than in flight

In the vast Mojave Desert, the former George Air Force Base near Victorville, California, has transformed into a significant hub for storing and dismantling aircraft. This site, alongside others like Pinal Airpark in Arizona, plays a crucial role in the aviation industry's lifecycle management, particularly for retired or surplus planes.

At ComAv, a company operating on the 97-hectare site, hundreds of aircraft, including Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s, are stored, maintained, refurbished, or systematically broken down. The desert's arid climate is a key factor, significantly slowing the corrosion of aircraft structures, excluding engines and electronics. This preservation capability allows airlines and leasing companies to store their fleets, awaiting either a return to service or disassembly.

Remarkably, some aircraft, even those that are nearly new, are now deemed more valuable when dismantled for their parts rather than being kept operational. This economic reality highlights a shift in the aviation market, where the sum of an aircraft's components can exceed its value as a flying machine. The process at Victorville is described less as a graveyard and more as an open-air factory, meticulously processing these giants of the sky.

This article is part of a report by Le Figaro, with the full content reserved for subscribers. The piece delves into the economic and logistical aspects of aircraft storage and dismantling in the American Southwest, offering a glimpse into a specialized sector of the aviation industry.