In an age where more-and-more airliners fall by the retirement wayside, a Boeing 747 sitting alongside Interstate 10 near Tucson, Ariz. is finding new life. But this time the jet won’t be traversing the skies, instead being commissioned to serve sushi to patrons on the ground. The aircraft, registered as N3439F, is located just east of Pinal Airpark in Marana, Ariz., which is famous for countless stored and scrapped jets. Even though its wings have been clipped — quite literally…
Boeing showed off the latest successor in its ecoDemonstrator program last week. The aircraft, which will eventually be delivered to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates-based Etihad Airways, is a newly-built 787-10 Dreamliner. The company's ecoDemonstrator program was started in 2012 using a 737 aircraft. Since then, five Boeing jets have…
Aviation is an ever-evolving industry, more so now than ever. Airlines are changing schedules by the day and placing aircraft into storage as the sector has taken an unprecedented tumble due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The jarring slump in air travel demand has left aircraft around the world virtually empty…
Two U.S. regional carriers are largely prevailing as victors in a battle for survival as airlines globally continue to weather an unprecedented downturn in travel demand. Phoenix-based Mesa Airlines and St. George, Utah-based Skywest Airlines have both posted profits for the last quarter while larger airlines report losses in the…
Located north of Tucson, Ariz., Pinal Airpark is a small, single-runway airfield that bears witness to some of the world's most iconic jets. The airport has several vendors on-site who manage the storage and reclamation processes for these aircraft. For years, Pinal Airpark has served as a so-called "boneyard," where…
As the airline industry struggles to find its footing during an unprecedented travel downturn worldwide, many air carriers are finding new ways to cope during this period. Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines is no exception to this. While commonly seen as a leisure carrier, the airline has recently enacted contracts…
The airline industry has ailed in pain for the last several months because of a virtually unprecedented downturn in travel demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Airlines across the globe have been reporting multi-billion dollar losses and load factors in the single digits. This week, though, a new trend emerged.…
Amid a global crisis that has practically reduced global travel to a skeleton of what it once was, a small, single-runway airpark smack-dab in the middle of the Arizona desert is an unlikely portrait of productivity. Pinal Airpark, situated along the Interstate 10 corridor between Phoenix and Tucson, in Marana,…
I recently came across an opinion piece by a fellow aviation reporter, arguing that domestic air travel in the U.S. essentially needs to be halted as COVID-19 cases grow by the day. I am certainly not discrediting Mr. Sumer’s opinion as the article itself does make several valid claims, nor…
It’s no secret that the past week has been tumultuous, uncertain and a bit disheartening for just about everyone as this pandemic has affected nearly everybody in our lives. As we watch our world gradually grind to a halt due to the COVID-19 outbreak, especially as the airline industry continues…
