I have heard the news that Delta is temporarily storing a 1/3 of their fleet due to the Coronavirus outbreak, but why are they storing them at a boneyard? Delta has several hubs, but is it cheaper to store aircraft at MZJ rather than leave them at their main hubs? I have noticed that Atlas Air also does this with there 744's when they aren't being used.

Many airlines use Marana for both short and long term storage. Probably a lot cheaper than ramp space at their stations. Good dry weather is an ideal factor as well. Marana is a lot more than a bone yard. Do a little research and you will be amazed what all goes on there.

Some of those planes may not return so it's already there... It's cheaper and the dry weather is less corrosive.

When I'm NOB again I'll have to check out MZJ. It's been a while.

Well so far all that's at MZJ from DL is (2) A333s; (2) 77Ls; (1) 764. A few recent additions from some other guys, though.

Note that they are also storing at BHM per this blog entry: https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/delt ... BVmduAx5PI

wjcandee wrote:

Well so far all that's at MZJ from DL is (2) A333s; (2) 77Ls; (1) 764. A few recent additions from some other guys, though.

I think there are about 12 Delta aircraft headed for MZJ as of today. More to follow shortly.

Not enough ramp space at hubs to park all the planes.

sho69607 wrote:

I have heard the news that Delta is temporarily storing a 1/3 of their fleet due to the Coronavirus outbreak, but why are they storing them at a boneyard? Delta has several hubs, but is it cheaper to store aircraft at MZJ rather than leave them at their main hubs? I have noticed that Atlas Air also does this with there 744's when they aren't being used.

The company that operates the facilities at MZJ stores and scraps aircraft. There's a lot of work that goes into aircraft storage — it requires fairly continuous attention — so it's more efficient and cheaper for Delta to have a specialist take care of their fleet. Another consideration is that being in the desert, there's little risk of severe weather damaging aircraft. We're getting into the spring now, so there's a risk of hail, tornados, and other severe weather in many other places around the country. Arizona does get the monsoon season around mid June through September, but dust storms don't cause any kind of damage, and severe weather like hail or microbursts are localized and fairly unusual. MZJ has plenty of storage, and both DL and NW before them have been longtime customers.

240 mainline aircraft and 60 RJ’s to start with. .

Here's the next batch of Delta widebodies heading for MZJ (through Tuesday). This does not include the 8 that have already arrived today. https://flightaware.com/live/airport/KMZJ/enroute

sho69607 wrote:

I have heard the news that Delta is temporarily storing a 1/3 of their fleet due to the Coronavirus outbreak, but why are they storing them at a boneyard? Delta has several hubs, but is it cheaper to store aircraft at MZJ rather than leave them at their main hubs? I have noticed that Atlas Air also does this with there 744's when they aren't being used.

MZJ is in the desert usually warm and dry. It won't preserve the airplanes but it will slow the rate of deterioration,
Delta certainly doesn't have the room to store them at their Hubs, Besides? they can reduce the number of Mechanics Needed to look after the airplanes on a daily basis as not every airplane Needs to be serviced every day though they need to be kept at the Ready for the day this Viral thing is over. Marana AZ, Tucson AZ,Blythe CA, Victorville Ca , San Bernardino CA, and Ontario,CA are the most likely places though If they could get into the old March AFB?
All the US Airlines could store airplanes there for hot backups as they could fly them out on a moments notice..

We’ll have plenty of empty gates to store them.

Also sending 2 Airbus A350-900’s to Blytheville, Arkansas

Not knowing when they will return to service, I would say the right move by Delta. These facilities can do a lot of things, from temporary mothballing to parting out, dry storing engines, selling parts and leasing out engines. Parking fees are obviously cheaper than many busy airports.

I personally don't believe the climate is an issue with newer generation planes particularly when they are sealed shut. An in-service frame gets exposed to the elements a lot more than a stored one. Just my opinion.

DL A359s went here today...and some tomorrow too

https://flightaware.com/live/airport/KBYH

strfyr51 wrote:

sho69607 wrote:

I have heard the news that Delta is temporarily storing a 1/3 of their fleet due to the Coronavirus outbreak, but why are they storing them at a boneyard? Delta has several hubs, but is it cheaper to store aircraft at MZJ rather than leave them at their main hubs? I have noticed that Atlas Air also does this with there 744's when they aren't being used.

MZJ is in the desert usually warm and dry. It won't preserve the airplanes but it will slow the rate of deterioration,
Delta certainly doesn't have the room to store them at their Hubs, Besides? they can reduce the number of Mechanics Needed to look after the airplanes on a daily basis as not every airplane Needs to be serviced every day though they need to be kept at the Ready for the day this Viral thing is over. Marana AZ, Tucson AZ,Blythe CA, Victorville Ca , San Bernardino CA, and Ontario,CA are the most likely places though If they could get into the old March AFB?
All the US Airlines could store airplanes there for hot backups as they could fly them out on a moments notice..

Um, ONT is not an aircraft storage airport, there is no where to park the airplanes. Blythe, hahaha give me a break there is NO ONE there to service or take care of the planes while they are in storage. The old March AFB, are you speaking of the ACTIVE March ARB? There is no way planes would be temporarily stored there, please put away your map of the Southwestern US.

There is a scrapyard at BYH, mostly doing MD-88's. I'm sure there are a mechanic or two that can service a stored A350 or two.

There is an MRO at the airport.

727LOVER wrote:

DL A359s went here today...and some tomorrow too

https://flightaware.com/live/airport/KBYH

As stated in the widebody thread, no A350s are going to BYH, it was an automation issue for those flight numbers that it shows going to BYH. They are going to BHM.

dtw2hyd wrote:

Not knowing when they will return to service, I would say the right move by Delta. These facilities can do a lot of things, from temporary mothballing to parting out, dry storing engines, selling parts and leasing out engines. Parking fees are obviously cheaper than many busy airports.

I personally don't believe the climate is an issue with newer generation planes particularly when they are sealed shut. An in-service frame gets exposed to the elements a lot more than a stored one. Just my opinion.

the climate does make a difference, I've taken airplanes out of storage from Marana and the what the heat does to the cabins? Is substantial I recovered a bunch of DC8-62's there which were former Alitalia airplanes and converted them to freighters some even got converted to DC8-72's and 73's Back then? Evergreen had the facility.

strfyr51 wrote:

dtw2hyd wrote:

Not knowing when they will return to service, I would say the right move by Delta. These facilities can do a lot of things, from temporary mothballing to parting out, dry storing engines, selling parts and leasing out engines. Parking fees are obviously cheaper than many busy airports.

I personally don't believe the climate is an issue with newer generation planes particularly when they are sealed shut. An in-service frame gets exposed to the elements a lot more than a stored one. Just my opinion.

the climate does make a difference, I've taken airplanes out of storage from Marana and the what the heat does to the cabins? Is substantial I recovered a bunch of DC8-62's there which were former Alitalia airplanes and converted them to freighters some even got converted to DC8-72's and 73's Back then? Evergreen had the facility.

U also recovered 4 DeHavilland Dash 7's there and returned them to service. Which I hear??? are now flying for the US Army as R7-C's

In great contrast to Marana, several of Delta's MD11s were stored for a number of years at Mirabel, after DL removed them from service but was stuck continuing to have to pay the leases. DL rejected those leases on the first day of bankruptcy, and they were sold to FedEx and UPS for conversion to freighters.

bnatraveler wrote:

Note that they are also storing at BHM per this blog entry: https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/delt ... BVmduAx5PI

7 A333s, 2 A359s, 4 763s. So far

Only 1 A332 so far (out of 11), but 2 77Es and 2 77Ls (out of 8 and 10, respectively) . Even an A339 is going into storage!

jagraham wrote:

Only 1 A332 so far (out of 11)...

Flightaware shows 4 DL 332s on their way to MZJ today.

How long a month are they to be stored

Thunderbolt500 wrote:

How long a month are they to be stored

They probably wouldn't be going to MZJ if it were just for a couple of months.

strfyr51 wrote:

dtw2hyd wrote:

Not knowing when they will return to service, I would say the right move by Delta. These facilities can do a lot of things, from temporary mothballing to parting out, dry storing engines, selling parts and leasing out engines. Parking fees are obviously cheaper than many busy airports.

I personally don't believe the climate is an issue with newer generation planes particularly when they are sealed shut. An in-service frame gets exposed to the elements a lot more than a stored one. Just my opinion.

the climate does make a difference, I've taken airplanes out of storage from Marana and the what the heat does to the cabins? Is substantial I recovered a bunch of DC8-62's there which were former Alitalia airplanes and converted them to freighters some even got converted to DC8-72's and 73's Back then? Evergreen had the facility.

I should have made it clear my comment was about rust or external deterioration. I would hate to see recently refurbished DL 757/757 interiors go bad.

atcsundevil wrote:

Thunderbolt500 wrote:

How long a month are they to be stored

They probably wouldn't be going to MZJ if it were just for a couple of months.

DL has stored short temp park aircraft at MZJ before. They have the space and we have a lot of frames to park. I'm sure every place that does any kind of parking will be used very soon.

atcsundevil wrote:

Thunderbolt500 wrote:

How long a month are they to be stored

They probably wouldn't be going to MZJ if it were just for a couple of months.

While I get where you are coming from on this, I disagree. I think they just happened to choose MZJ over ROW and VCV for temp storage. BFM is also obviously temporary storage and AA also has some aircraft going there so I suspect the ramp space at BFM is going to be tight otherwise DL likely would have sent more there.

Any pictures already available of stored aircraft?

MIflyer12 wrote:

jagraham wrote:

Only 1 A332 so far (out of 11)...

Flightaware shows 4 DL 332s on their way to MZJ today.

I saw that. It's changing by the minute . . .

alasizon wrote:

atcsundevil wrote:

Thunderbolt500 wrote:

How long a month are they to be stored

They probably wouldn't be going to MZJ if it were just for a couple of months.

While I get where you are coming from on this, I disagree. I think they just happened to choose MZJ over ROW and VCV for temp storage. BFM is also obviously temporary storage and AA also has some aircraft going there so I suspect the ramp space at BFM is going to be tight otherwise DL likely would have sent more there.

This is an unprecedented storage operation. I doubt any large airline other than EK will store less than 40% of their fleet in the next two weeks. Except perhaps China based airlines with respect to domestic flying.

VCV is popular with foreign airlines. In any case, long term storage space for jetliners just got very popular.

atcsundevil wrote:

Thunderbolt500 wrote:

How long a month are they to be stored

They probably wouldn't be going to MZJ if it were just for a couple of months.

Bingo.

Even if COVID-19 was completely eradicated tommorrow, it's going to take months(if not years) for the economy to rebound. I wouldn't be surprised if those aircraft sat around until the year end holidays.

FX1816 wrote:

strfyr51 wrote:

sho69607 wrote:

I have heard the news that Delta is temporarily storing a 1/3 of their fleet due to the Coronavirus outbreak, but why are they storing them at a boneyard? Delta has several hubs, but is it cheaper to store aircraft at MZJ rather than leave them at their main hubs? I have noticed that Atlas Air also does this with there 744's when they aren't being used.

MZJ is in the desert usually warm and dry. It won't preserve the airplanes but it will slow the rate of deterioration,
Delta certainly doesn't have the room to store them at their Hubs, Besides? they can reduce the number of Mechanics Needed to look after the airplanes on a daily basis as not every airplane Needs to be serviced every day though they need to be kept at the Ready for the day this Viral thing is over. Marana AZ, Tucson AZ,Blythe CA, Victorville Ca , San Bernardino CA, and Ontario,CA are the most likely places though If they could get into the old March AFB?
All the US Airlines could store airplanes there for hot backups as they could fly them out on a moments notice..

Um, ONT is not an aircraft storage airport, there is no where to park the airplanes. Blythe, hahaha give me a break there is NO ONE there to service or take care of the planes while they are in storage. The old March AFB, are you speaking of the ACTIVE March ARB? There is no way planes would be temporarily stored there, please put away your map of the Southwestern US.

Blythe, Arkansas, not Blythe, California.

'902

TWA902fly wrote:

FX1816 wrote:

strfyr51 wrote:

MZJ is in the desert usually warm and dry. It won't preserve the airplanes but it will slow the rate of deterioration,
Delta certainly doesn't have the room to store them at their Hubs, Besides? they can reduce the number of Mechanics Needed to look after the airplanes on a daily basis as not every airplane Needs to be serviced every day though they need to be kept at the Ready for the day this Viral thing is over. Marana AZ, Tucson AZ,Blythe CA, Victorville Ca , San Bernardino CA, and Ontario,CA are the most likely places though If they could get into the old March AFB?
All the US Airlines could store airplanes there for hot backups as they could fly them out on a moments notice..

Um, ONT is not an aircraft storage airport, there is no where to park the airplanes. Blythe, hahaha give me a break there is NO ONE there to service or take care of the planes while they are in storage. The old March AFB, are you speaking of the ACTIVE March ARB? There is no way planes would be temporarily stored there, please put away your map of the Southwestern US.

Blythe, Arkansas, not Blythe, California.

'902

I think you mean Blytheville, Arkansas. Airport code BYH. There's a lot of aircraft activity there for storage, and maint.

atcsundevil wrote:

Thunderbolt500 wrote:

How long a month are they to be stored

They probably wouldn't be going to MZJ if it were just for a couple of months.

It's one of the least-expensive places to park dozens of aircraft without tying up ramp space in ATL or other hub cities, all of whom would charge far more for storage than MZJ will.

Spacepope wrote:

TWA902fly wrote:

FX1816 wrote:

Um, ONT is not an aircraft storage airport, there is no where to park the airplanes. Blythe, hahaha give me a break there is NO ONE there to service or take care of the planes while they are in storage. The old March AFB, are you speaking of the ACTIVE March ARB? There is no way planes would be temporarily stored there, please put away your map of the Southwestern US.

Blythe, Arkansas, not Blythe, California.

'902

I think you mean Blytheville, Arkansas. Airport code BYH. There's a lot of aircraft activity there for storage, and maint.

Yes, that is what I meant, thanks for the correction.

'902

Also in Pinal Airpark, MCI Airport, Blytheville, Arkansas, and even Atlanta! I heard they closed runways because of the grounded aircraft in ATL.

Also in Pinal Airpark, MCI Airport, Blytheville, Arkansas, and even Atlanta! I heard they closed runways because of the grounded aircraft in ATL.

Aircraft are primarily in the following places stored:

Storage
MCI
BHM
BYH - MD88, MD90 retirements; the 4 A359s are leaving today and tomorrow for DTW & MSP, not sure if anything in storage remains after that at BYH since they got inundated with the MD88 & MD90
ILN
QRO
MZJ
VCV
SBD

Rolling storage - on inactivated gates/hardstands, of active aircraft
ATL
MSP
DTW

In addition many outstations are being used to "RON" aircraft for 1-2 days at time utilizing idle gates and hardstands to keep aircraft in active service. For example a 717 may fly the last flight on ATL-CHS, but instead of that frame turning back to ATL on the first flight next morning, it will stay in CHS for 1-2 days, and swap-out with another RON aircraft.

Did they get all the aircraft off the closed runway in ATL? My understanding was that was temporary until they could get enough storage locations available since it wasn't ideal storage location for multiple reasons including ability to do storage/maintenance, weather, etc.

Coming in on the M88 Monday I did not see a single plane on the southernmost runway. Plenty parked at DL North and numerous CRJ's outside the old NWA hangar on the south field.

PSU.DTW.SCE wrote:

Aircraft are primarily in the following places stored:

Storage
MCI
BHM
BYH - MD88, MD90 retirements; the 4 A359s are leaving today and tomorrow for DTW & MSP, not sure if anything in storage remains after that at BYH since they got inundated with the MD88 & MD90
ILN
QRO
MZJ
VCV
SBD

Rolling storage - on inactivated gates/hardstands, of active aircraft
ATL
MSP
DTW

In addition many outstations are being used to "RON" aircraft for 1-2 days at time utilizing idle gates and hardstands to keep aircraft in active service. For example a 717 may fly the last flight on ATL-CHS, but instead of that frame turning back to ATL on the first flight next morning, it will stay in CHS for 1-2 days, and swap-out with another RON aircraft.

Did they get all the aircraft off the closed runway in ATL? My understanding was that was temporary until they could get enough storage locations available since it wasn't ideal storage location for multiple reasons including ability to do storage/maintenance, weather, etc.

BravoOne wrote:

Many airlines use Marana for both short and long term storage. Probably a lot cheaper than ramp space at their stations. Good dry weather is an ideal factor as well. Marana is a lot more than a bone yard. Do a little research and you will be amazed what all goes on there.

I worked at Marana for Evergreen years ago. They did all kinds of stuff to airplanes there. That and Macon GA. were Big bases for them. Even the forrest service had airplanes based in Marana over the winter. That was one interesting place to work.

strfyr51 wrote:

BravoOne wrote:

Many airlines use Marana for both short and long term storage. Probably a lot cheaper than ramp space at their stations. Good dry weather is an ideal factor as well. Marana is a lot more than a bone yard. Do a little research and you will be amazed what all goes on there.

I worked at Marana for Evergreen years ago. They did all kinds of stuff to airplanes there. That and Macon GA. were Big bases for them. Even the forrest service had airplanes based in Marana over the winter. That was one interesting place to work.

Did you know "Snoz" that was in charge of maintenance when Evergreen first opened down there?