First Australian aircraft 'boneyard' settles outside US
Alice Springs Airport or ASA is delegated to be the first aircraft "boneyard" outside the United States after a deal for the construction and operation of the facility was concluded with a storage company this week.
The Sydney Morning Herald confirmed that it will take planes being decommissioned from service, which will be stripped of parts like engines, electronics and wiring to be re-cycled. This spot will function similarly to the massive Pinal Airpark in Arizona.
Moreover, airlines can store aircrafts as big as the A380 at the 'boneyard' when they are not being used.
Alice Springs Airport general manager Katie Cooper said, "It's quite ground-breaking for this part of the world. It will be the first one in the southern hemisphere of any significant scale. Our big market will be the Asia-Pacific carriers, because of the proximity."
Cooper explained Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage Ltd (APAS) selected Alice Springs because its dry, arid climate was perfect for the storage and preservation of aircraft. Its runway that can cater to big planes and plenty of room to expand was also a plus.
APAS will supervise the day-to-day running of the new ‘boneyard’. It will work in conjunction with GHD on the design, engineering and construction of the 110 hectare facility, which will be built opposite ASA’s main terminal.
"This project represents the first Asia-Pacific based alternative for customers with aircraft based, or operating through, the region," APAS managing director Tom Vincent said.
With the first planes expected to arrive early next year, the taxiway will be worked on later this year, Cooper furthered.