Where do aircraft go when they die? The global
aviation sector is expanding at a rapid pace and by 2050; the industry could be
handling some 16 billion travellers and 400 million tons of cargo annually. At
some stage, maintenance, repair and upgrading become uneconomic and at this
point the owner will consider taking the aircraft out of service. It is
estimated that over 9,700 aircraft are to be permanently retired or withdrawn
from service over the next 20 years. In many cases the retired airframe will
contain valuable components and parts that can be returned to service.
