Airplane Graveyards and the Environment

Airplane Graveyards and the Environment

Airplane graveyards are places where retired aircraft are stored or dismantled. The aircraft in these graveyards are either kept for the purpose of storage, or the parts are removed for reuse or resale before being scrapped.
Airplane graveyards are located in arid areas, such as the southwestern United States, because the dry air slows corrosion and the hard ground eliminates the need for paving.

The world's largest airplane graveyard is the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, which houses about 4,000 aircraft, including retired U.S. Air Force and commercial aircraft.

In addition to Davis-Monthan, there are many other airplane graveyards in the United States, such as the Mojave Air and Space Port and the Victorville Airport in California. Airplane graveyards also exist in other countries, such as Woodbridge Airfield in the United Kingdom and Santa Maria Airport in Spain.
Airplane graveyards are interesting places to learn about the aviation industry and to learn about the structure and components of aircraft. However, they are also a potential environmental hazard.

Airplanes are made up of thousands of parts, many of which contain hazardous materials. It is important to properly dispose of these materials when dismantling an aircraft. However, in reality, many aircraft are not properly disposed of and are instead dumped into the environment.
For example, aluminum can be recycled and reused, but if it is illegally dumped, it can contaminate soil and water. Plastics and rubber can also release harmful pollutants into the air if they are incinerated.

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to promote the recycling of airplane materials. For example, Boeing, a major U.S. aerospace company, has set a goal of using 50% recycled aluminum in its aircraft manufacturing by 2025.

In Japan, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is working to achieve a recycling rate of 80% for airplane dismantling by 2030.
These efforts are expected to help reduce the environmental impact of airplane graveyards.
Specifically, the following measures are being taken:

• Removal of hazardous materials from aircraft before dismantling

• Development of airplanes made from recyclable materials

• Promotion of maintenance and refurbishment to extend the lifespan of aircraft

By taking these measures, the environmental impact of airplane graveyards can be reduced and the development of a sustainable aviation industry can be promoted.