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The Times of India
The Times of India
World
TOI World Desk

Thousands of retired aircraft parked in desert boneyards could become a source of recoverable electronics and high-value spare parts

EASA IATA the National Library of Medicine

Every year, hundreds of commercial aircraft reach the end of their working lives. Instead of being scrapped immediately, many are flown to storage facilities in desert climates where low humidity helps slow corrosion and preserves valuable components. More than 15,000 commercial aircraft were retired worldwide between 1980 and 2017, and the industry expected roughly 12,000 more to retire over the following two decades. Both figures come from a 2022 environmental sustainability study commissioned by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

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