Aircraft deep storage
 

now its not news that airlines worldwide are storing their planes due to lack of demand caused by covid, and NZ has stored their 777s in the States

question, why US when I read CX and SQ are putting theirs in Australia? I am completely new to this subject but surely Australia is a lot closer than USA? Is that because its Full? where is QF storing theirs?

Cost, Time frames, spare qualified mechanics for type of aircraft (to do the parking maintenance, then the weekly maintenance).

SQ and CX are parking them to bring back. The NZ 772 are being parked to be sold, parted. I don't see all the 773s coming back either.

QF has sent their 744 and A380 to the US.

many thanks, indeed CX and SQ have planned to bring theirs back, NZ's 772 and 77W will be missed.... I have been on the same seat on all of them and what a privilege that is, thank you ZK-OKA to OKH, also KM-KS

you have all given me very happy memories... I really hope I can have a part....

Much of it also depends on the lessor. Remember most airlines don't own the bulk of their aircraft so for many they're not the ones making decisions about where they go.

Anybody who says "X aircraft won't be back until Y" is also really just crystal ball gazing. The reality is none of us know what the world will be like 6 months from now.

Air NZ had (from memory) 2 of the 77Ws that had leases expiring within the next year and have already taken a huge financial impairment charge ending the leases on the leased 772s so if any do come back they'll potentially only be the company owned frames.

As of yesterday most of the 777s are still sitting in AKL, waiting to be transfered to the US.

The main secondary taxiway in AKL, is currently an parking lot for NZ.

thank you for the question, I have wondered this too

i believe Qantas is storing some stuff at places like Avalon which is not really that suitable for long term storage

ASP is most definitely NOT full- they have had to make more space for all the CX/SQ stuff coming in but there is more space available. That’s before they even start to consider places like KTR etc

my guess is there’s a degree of short/medium/long term storage- QF perhaps thinks things like a330s are relatively likely to return reasonably soon (travel bubble/domestic flying restarting) whereas international long haul fleets are requiring long term storage (to 2023 for A380s for example). The fleet mix and business model of CX/SQ, and indeed NZ is perhaps a bit different from QFs

had a chat with one of the APAS guys at Alice and seemed to be broadly in keeping with this. Also possibly slightly lower wages/storage costs in the US??

16 Sep 2020--> First of eight Air NZ Boeing 777-200ERs departs for desert 'plane graveyard'

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/trave...e-tonight.html

If the aircraft are going to be sold (including especially sold for parts), it could be an advantage to park them near potential overseas buyers and especially in a country that would permit potential buyers to enter for the purpose of inspection.