What happens when an airplane is retired?

Question

With launch of new models every few years, what happens to the older airplanes which was in service for more than decades? Where does it get stored.

Who buys old airplanes? Does manufacturers buys it back for reusing the parts or is there any specific companies which buys old airplanes?

If you are french speaker, I recommend this video which explains what parts are recycled and rapidly expose what is done when no recycling is done. — Manu H, Feb 05 '20 at 14:12

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 09 '20 at 03:52

There are a few things that can happen:

They are sold to another airline - In some cases the plane may still have life (cycles) left and may find it's later days flying for another outfit. Sometimes airlines for countries with emerging economies can only afford older aircraft and they may end up far from their original homes.
They are sold to cargo airlines - cargo airlines may buy old passenger planes as they may not always be looking to fly the fanciest new airliners since the customer rarely talks back ;)
They end up in the bone yard - aircraft with life left on some parts hold at least some value and may be relegated to a bone yard to be picked over for years to come.
Ultimately, scrap metal always has value...

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