Update on Aircraft at Cotswold Airport

[Aircraft19]

A quick update on the new arrivals to Cotswold Airport for scrapping. These lot have all arrived in the last 3-6 months to be parted out by Air Salvage International Ltd

Here’s some photos from around this time last year

Airside Tour at Cotswold Airport with Air Salvage International

I was looking through some old photos and I found these from around the same time last year. I took part in the 2016 Cotswold Airport Aviation Scholarship and as part of this, we took an airside tour with Air Salvage International, a company that scraps old aircraft to sell the parts, which are often more valuable than the aircraft itself! The vast majority are owned by major banks and leased to airlines, when the lease ends, the banks often scrap the aircraft instead of finding a new lessor. W…

Now, let’s take look at the aircraft on the ground at EGBP as of 19th March

Boeing 727-269(A) M-FTOH was initially sent to EGBP in October for storage while she waited for a new owner. Unfortunately, she’s not looking so healthy any more and a new owner is nowhere to be seen! Anyone interested in buying a vintage 727?

Ex Air France Airbus A340-311 F-GLZH std at EGBP 01. Mar 2017. She’s still in one piece but she won’t stay that way for long…

Ex TAM Linhas Aereas/LATAM Airlines Brasil Airbus A319-132 PT-MZC (std at EGBP 07. Sep 2016) during parting out

GA Telesis have acquired two Ex Thai Airways International Boeing 777-2D7(ER)s and re-registered them as N175GT (Ex HS-TJE, stored at EGBP 23. Dec 2016) & N176GT (Ex HS-TJF, std at EGBP 12. Jan 2017).

They are slowly being parted out with Trent 700 Engines being removed

Close up with N175GT. Note the crude method of re-registration, a simple spray paint can does the job!

Air Atlanta Icelandic (Ex Saudia) Boeing 747-4H6 TF-AAE with missing engines, std at EGBP 27. Oct 2016.

The crazy thing about this aircraft? When I was 3 months old, she was the first aircraft I ever flew on, registered as 9M-MPI with Malaysia Airlines. Of course, I remember nothing of the flight but my dad logs all the flights he has been on. Funny how these things work out!

Thanks for checking out my photos! All taken on a Canon EOS 700D with 18-135mm & 70-200mm Lenses!

[AtomicHerbster4]

I feel so sad looking at these. I can’t really explain it.

[David_Lockwood]

Nice photos, drive past there often but don’t get a chance to stop and take photos!

[Lx_D]

I’m interested, since they are just goinng to get broken up, is it free if someone wants to use an aircraft, would it be costly

[Aircraft19]

There’s a few lay-bys on the side of the road on the South side. Otherwise, you can just drive into the AV8 parking area or head down past the Bristol Britannia to get a look at the aprons

[George]

Its sad to see those planes go. At least, their parts can be recycled into parts that can be useful for the society

[Aircraft19]

The banks that own the aircraft find that the aircraft is worth more as individual parts than as a whole airframe. They don’t want to lease the aircraft any longer as it won’t be as profitable

[Aircraft19]

Most are just used on other aircraft. Most of the planes are still relatively young and their engines, avionics etc can be passed on to other aircraft

[Stephen_Smith]

Did you see any Virgin Atlantic aircraft there recently? I heard due to the 787 problems they may be bringing back some A340s temporarily.

[Aircraft19]

There are no VS aircraft at EGBP. To my knowledge, there have never been any VS aircraft at EGBP. However here is some information that may answer your question

VS currently have 7 A340-642s in operation and have sold on or stored 12. Of these 12, 4 are stored.

G-VWIN, wfu 08. Jan 2017, std at LDE 09. Jan 2017
G-VNAP, wfu 09. Jan 2015, std at LDE 24. Feb 2015
G-VWKD, wfu 18. Jun 2016, std at SFB 23. Jun 2016
G-VBLU, wfu 22. Apr 2016, std at SFB 27. Apr 2016

I’m not sure of the current state of these aircraft, some may still be in one piece and others may be scrapped (unknown to me). If some are in one piece, VS could use them at some point to provide extra seats. However, I have not heard of any particular problems with the fleet of 787s and I have not heard anything about A340s being brought back to provide extra seats

[Stephen_Smith]

Thank for the reply.

The issue is the Rolls Royce engines are unreliable, and there not enough spare engines in the system to replace them, hence rumoured A340s being reactivated to provide assistance. Bit more info here:

http://m.derbytelegraph.co.uk/rolls-royce-is-in-a-three-horse-race-ndash-but-latest-turbine-blades-setback-means-it-is-losing/story-29690268-detail/story.html

Great pictures btw, looks like a good day out!

[Aircraft19]

That’s an interesting report. It may be a little out of date but I look forwards to seeing any “resurrections” of the VS fleet!

[mbmhwue148]

Sad to see them all (at least most of them) going :(