The Value of Retired Planes: Parts and Profit.

Once an airline is finished with one of its planes, it might try to find a buyer that has a use for older airliners, like cargo fleets and fire-fighting companies. But, if this isn’t possible, it’s sent to the Arizona desert where it joins hundreds of other aircraft that are waiting to be broken down. According to a CNBC report, the first stage in extracting as much value as possible from an old aircraft is to strip out the big money parts, such as engines and landing gear. The pieces can be overhauled, rebuilt and sold for use in service once again. Others can be used to train budding mechanics on the workings of an aircraft engine.