When thousands of long-haul aircraft across the globe were grounded at the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020, airlines were faced with the question of where to store them.
At 73 metres long, 24 metres high and with a take-off weight of up to 560 tonnes, the Airbus A380 is the largest and heaviest passenger aircraft in the world and responsible for a significant chunk of international flying. Aircraft of this size require lots of space and arid conditions, making the world’s deserts the opportune (and arguably the only) place to keep them.
Qantas was criticised for slipping standards after flights resumed following the end of COVID-19 restrictions.
Aircraft boneyards have stored retired and damaged planes since the end of the Second World War and are vital to keeping the industry afloat, but the COVID-19 pandemic was the first time the world’s deserts were tested by so many simultaneously.
This month, the last Qantas Airbus A380 embarked on its long voyage home after close to 1000 days in Victorville boneyard within California’s Mojave Desert. Qantas was Australia’s only long-haul carrier during the pandemic and although its planes may be close to back in action, the airline does not expect its international flying to return to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2024.
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This is partly because of the complexity of returning an aircraft of such magnitude to service. Reviving an A380 requires 4500 hours of manpower, where its 22 wheels, 16 brakes and internal furnishings are replaced. Tasks including replacing all oxygen cylinders, fire extinguishers and inflatable slides have derailed the process for some airlines by months, due to the ongoing global supply shortage of crucial parts.
For Qantas engineers, reviving an A380 meant two months of work per aircraft in the sweltering Mojave Desert. Some lucky engineers were tasked with whacking the wheels of each plane to rid them of rattlesnakes or other unsuspecting foes.
The airline’s executive manager of engineering, Scott McConnell, said 100 of his engineers found themselves working through extreme weather – ranging from snow and icy cold storms to unforgiving heat. The only constant was the dust that enveloped everything.
A Qantas A380 in one of Victorville’s storage hangars.
“The entire aircraft is wrapped to protect it from mo
