Abandoned aircrafts and engines

[LewisK]

Hi all!

I believe there are many abandoned aircrafts around the world collecting dust at an airfield.

I was wondering why arent the authorities removing the aircrafts or putting them up for sale?

To be frank I am actually working for a company that specialises in metal recycling of gas turbine scraps and had been buying gas turbine scraps from OEMs, MROs, and airlines.

As such, this question came about when I saw an article on aircraft graveyards and abandoned aircrafts with engines.

Anyone is able to explain?

[onetrack]

It's a matter of basic economics - most abandoned aircraft are in remote regions, and the cost of retrieving the scrap metals from those difficult-to-access areas, is more than the value of the metals.
It's rare for abandoned aircraft to retain their engines, because they are high-value items that are usually salvaged, while the low-value hull and wings are left behind - they are regarded as having no economic value.
Aircraft graveyards are usually formed, so components can be used as spares, sometime in the future.

[N707ZS]

Valencia Spain has 5 A300s and 1 747 which have been there for almost 10 years, complete just rotting away.

[Exup]

A lot of these aircraft are involved in high cost law suits between various parties, the airport, airframe owner, engine owner ,leasing company,lessor & anyone else who is owed money so it's not straight forward to gain access to them. Some are parked up in good condition but after years of court wrangling may be worth next to nothing.

[Stanwell]

G'day, Lewis.
I do think that both onetrack and Exup have adequately explained the situation to you.
If I may just lapse into pedantry for a moment, the plural of aircraft is aircraft. OK?
(I got in before Fujii, for once.)

[Council Van]

Benin City in Nigeria. The Nigerian Airforce hangar is surrounded by a selection of decaying hulks including some BAC 1'11's. The Nigerian Airforce employee's had an old settee positioned under the wing of one of these.

They arrive for work at 8am, sit down on the settee and enjoy the shade provided by the aircraft wing. At 5pm after another hard day discussing their troubles they would depart for home.

There is also a collection of what appeard to be Soviet built helicopters, they looked very interesting no doubt inhibited by a collection of venomous snakes and rather unpleasant insects.

A Graveyard of Abandoned Airliners at Benin City Airport, Nigeria | UrbanGhostMedia | Jimi Disu's Blog

[treadigraph]

I visited Florida for the first time in 1984 and went to most of the airfields in the southern half of the state. Astonishing number of Douglas, Convair and Martin propliners, even a few Connies, to be found rotting and forgotten, hardly an airfield didn't have at least one it seemed.

Sadly mostly gone the next time I went in 1988, though Maurice Roundy and Kermit Weekes saved the Starliner parked up at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood.

The O-49 Connie parked nearby was scrapped...

[Daverb]

727 still parked up at Faro