The Roswell International Air Center became the temporary retirement home Tuesday for 20 American Airlines jets.
American Airlines flew in the McDonnellDouglas80 models removed from its fleet. The planes will be stored at the air center as American Airlines determines the future of each one, which for some could include uses such as removing parts for use on other planes or refurbishing the jets for sale to smaller airlines.
The planes were flown into Roswell Tuesday from locations throughout the country, with some of the planes landing five minutes or less behind the previous arrival, then lining up to begin preparation for storage, which is being handled by AerSale, an aviation business based at the air center.
The oldest MD80 in American’s fleet was one of the first to arrive Tuesday. That plane was put into service in 1986 and has carried some 3.6 million passengers. As American Airlines continues to retire this model of plane, additional MD80s are expected to be stored at the Roswell air center.
