List and map of airplane boneyards in the United States and worldwide, including a list of post-WWII boneyards and modern-day airliner storage facilities
List and Map of Active and Post-WWII Aircraft Boneyards and Storage Facilities
Military Aircraft Boneyards
Fighter boneyard at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, post World War II
The United States manufactured about 294,000 aircraft for WWII, and once peace was assured the military found itself with a huge surplus of aircraft.
Within a year of the end of the war, about 34,000 airplanes had been moved to 30 sales-storage depots, or "aircraft boneyards ".
It was estimated a total of 117,210 aircraft would be declared surplus.
If a plane was not sold at boneyards such as those at Kingman AAF, Cal-Aero Field, and Walnut Ridge AAF, it was stripped of classified information, sliced up with guillotines, and melted in smelters into ingots.
... about post-WWII boneyards
Today, as Air Force, Navy and Marine planes become obsolete and need to be disposed of, or saved for future return to service, they are stored in the Arizona desert.
Long-term aircraft storage area at Davis-Monthan AMARG (staff photo)
The Air Force Materiel Command's 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) operates the world's largest boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona.
... about Davis-Monthan AFB's AMARG facility
Airliner Boneyards, Storage and Parts Reclamation Facilities
Commercial airliners have limited lifespans. Some are temporarily taken off flying status, and must be stored in a environment that is conducive to preservation. Others are kept for spare parts for flying aircraft.
Continental ExpressJets in storage at Kingman Airport in the Arizona desert (staff photo)
To protect airliners during their storage from wind and sun damage, engines and windows are tightly covered with white, reflective materials. A sealed airliner can thus be stored safely, for years, until the time comes to return it to active duty, or salvage.
Eventually, all airliners are removed permanently from service and must be "disposed" of.
Airliner "boneyards" in the western United States serve several functions: temporary storage, maintenance, parts reclamation, and scrapping.
Airliner Storage During the COVID-19 Outbreak in 2020
As anyone that flies, has ties to the aviation industry, or watches TV knows, the worldwide outbreak of the Corona Virus has had a major negative impact on airlines and their fleets, worldwide. Hundreds of planes were being put into temporary storage.
Grounded airliners in storage in 2020
Large Boneyards & Storage Facilities in the Western U.S.
Located in Arizona, California and New Mexico are seven major airplane boneyards, each located in dry, low-humidity desert environments and offering long runways and extensive storage areas. Shown below is a list of these boneyard facilities.
Airfield or Facility Name
Purpose or Type
City
ST
Runway Length
Southern California Logistics Airport - SCLA (VCV)<br>Commercial airliner storage, maintenance & disassembly<br>Victorville<br>CA
15,050'
Davis-Monthan AFB (DMA)<br>Military boneyard and storage facility<br>Tucson<br>AZ
13,643'
Roswell International Air Center (ROW)<br>Commercial airliner storage, maintenance & disassembly<br>Roswell<br>NM
13,001'
Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV)<br>Commercial airliner storage, maintenance & disassembly<br>Mojave<br>CA
12,503'
Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR)<br>Commercial airliner storage and maintenance<br>Phoenix<br>AZ
8,500'
Pinal County Airpark (MZJ)<br>Commercial airliner storage, maintenance & disassembly<br>Marana<br>AZ
6,849'
Kingman Airport (IGM)<br>Commercial airliner storage and maintenance<br>Kingman<br>AZ
6,827'
Coolidge Airport (P08)<br>Commercial airliner storage and disassembly<br>Coolidge<br>AZ
5,564'
List of Aircraft Storage Facilities and Parts Reclamation Sites in the United States (By State)
Airfield or Facility Name
Purpose or Type
City
ST
Arkansas International Airport (BYH)<br>Aviation Repair Technologies (ART) operates a facility in Blytheville for aircraft heavy maintenance, short-term aircraft storage, and aircraft disassembly.<br>Blytheville<br>AR
Stuttgart Municipal Airport (SGT)<br>Airliner storage and disassembly by CAVU Aerospace<br>Stuttgart<br>AR
Kingman Airport (IGM)<br>Commercial airliner storage and maintenance<br>Kingman<br>AZ
Pinal Airark (MZJ)<br>Commercial airliner storage, maintenance & disassembly<br>Marana<br>AZ
Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR)<br>Commercial airliner storage and maintenance<br>Phoenix<br>AZ
Davis-Monthan AMARG<br>Military boneyard and storage facility<br>Tucson<br>AZ
Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV)<br>Commercial airliner storage, maintenance & disassembly<br>Mojave<br>CA
San Bernardino Intl Airport (SBD)<br>Commercial airliner storage, maintenance & disassembly<br>San Bernardino<br>CA
Southern California Logistics Airport (VCV)<br>Commercial airliner storage, maintenance & disassembly<br>Victorville<br>CA
Bob Sikes Airport (CEW)<br>Airliner acquisition and parts reclamation facility operated by Qwest Air Parts,...