根據國際航空運輸協會 (IATA) 統計,過去的 35 年中,全球約有 16,000 架商用客機和貨機退役。談到飛機的壽命,很多人可能會認為是用服役年數或飛行距離決定,但它們不是唯一指標。
隨著飛行時間越長,飛機的機身、機翼、門窗、表面固定件和鉚釘等等也會有不同層度的損耗,這也會影響到飛機的壽命。主流的飛機製造商,像是波音、空中巴士、龐巴迪、巴西航太、達梭及灣流等等,通常是根據飛機的使用頻率、起降次數、飛行時數和維護時數等指標,綜合衡量飛機的壽命。
例如,一架空中巴士 A320 客機退役前大概可以執行 60,000 次起降;一架波音 747 客機退役前大概可以執行 35,000 次起降。這些起降次數會依照航空公司營運的不同,有時需要長達 30 年的時間才會達到。延伸閱讀:《知識》客機的區分方式
2019 年新冠疫情關係,導致航空運輸量下滑,加上航空永續碳排放等議題,加速了全球航空公司提前除役大型廣體客機及效率較低的飛機。英國的航空顧問公司 NAVEO 表示,2020 年、2021 年退役的飛機平均機齡皆約為 23 年。延伸閱讀:《精選》疫情下的航空業,飛機停放在地面該如何處理?
所以,飛機退役後何去何從?整理以下幾種情況:
1. 暫時先封存起來
航空公司決定退役一架飛機,並不代表這架飛機將永久停飛。在某些情況,航空公司會將飛機長期封存,並在市場狀況改善後重新啟用飛機。飛機通常會被送到沙漠中存放,因為沙漠乾燥的天氣條件有助於防止飛機腐蝕。飛機存放的時間越長,重新啟用的準備工作就會越長。一架窄體飛機大約需要 40 個工作小時,一架廣體飛機大約需要 100 個工作小時。當然這也是要看飛機封存的狀況決定,某些情況下可能需要甚至1,000小時的工作小時,才能將封存的飛機重啟投入飛行。延伸閱讀:《知識》退役的飛機擺哪裡?美國蒙森空軍基地的「飛機墓園」
2. 整架出售給其它航空公司
舊飛機營運成本高但仍可以飛行,出售給其它有意願承接的航空公司也是選項之一。通常這些願意承接的航空公司資金及規模較小,因此會以二手飛機作為營運考量。延伸閱讀:《知識》航空公司選擇「買飛機」或「租飛機」之優缺點分析
3. 拆解零件提供二手市場使用
如果真的永遠不再使用這架飛機了,會將退役飛機一些有價值的零件拆除下來再利用或轉售。大約 90% 的飛機零件可回收或再利用。根據飛機型號不同,一架飛機可能需要 30 到 60 天,拆解成 1,500 至 2,000 個零件,包括發動機、輔助動力裝置、起落架和其它可重複使用或出售的零件。
航空公司可以將這些零件拿回去更換機隊中相同機型的飛機,這樣做通常比購買新的零件更便宜,可以降低維運成本。飛機引擎在二手市場的需求量很大,因為引擎除了渦輪機之外,還包含其它像是渦輪葉片等零件,航空公司必須定期更換這些零件以符合飛機安全規範。
一個二手飛機引擎的價值可達 200 萬美元左右,與購買全新的成本相比,航空公司買二手引擎的成本會低很多。飛機座椅、起落架等可以出售。其它零部件,如飛機電纜、電池和電子產品,被送去回收,在那裡它們被分類、清潔、切碎、熔化和造粒以重複使用。
4. 轉化成生活用品
退役的飛機,也可以轉生成生活用品,以第二生命再次融入我們的生活中。
通常會將飛機機身它切成小碎片,以便將廢金屬熔化進一步再利用。一架波音747 機身的廢品價值高達 55,000 美元。從報廢飛機回收的金屬有很多日常用途,包括飲料罐、瓶蓋、窗框、盤子和硬幣。有些廠商會把卸除下來的飛機蒙皮做成鑰匙圈紀念品;有些廠商甚至專門生產航空主題的家具,把飛機零件變成會議桌和椅子。
例如:
- 日本航空使用舊飛機零件,再製成一系列生活用品,甚至跟知名設計師與品牌合作,推出的所有飛機再生產品,每樣都是特別訂製、絕無僅有的限量版,僅通過日航網路商店 JAL Mall 獨家販售。
- 中華航空於 2023 年推出限量「永續救生衣包」,將功成身退的機上救生衣,改造再生成為日用包款,外觀時尚兼具防水功能。
- 阿聯酋航空,則推出的限量版行李和配件系列。阿聯酋航空把從空中巴士A380和波音777飛機上拆除下來的零件,手工製成行李箱、背包、手提包、卡片夾、盥洗用品袋、腰帶和鞋子等。
5. 重新改造成其它用途
退役的飛機也有可能被重新改造成其它用途,例如變成航空公司機組人員訓練的模擬客艙,或是改造成航空主題旅館。例如,成立於2009年位於斯德哥爾摩的 Jumbo Stay 酒店,當時創始人決定將一架擁有 46 年歷史的波音 747-200 客機改造成酒店,配備了 33 間客房,一次可接待 76 位客人。延伸閱讀:《知識》飛機可以改造成哪些用途?
值得注意的是,飛機除役的過程必須對於環境及安全妥善管理,特別是如果要購買整架退役的飛機,需要有特定的許可證才能進行購買。
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Where Do Retired Airplanes Go?
Over the past 35 years, about 16,000 commercial airplanes and cargo planes have been retired worldwide, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). While many people think the lifespan of an airplane is determined by its age or the distance it has flown, these are not the only factors.
As an airplane gets older, parts like the fuselage, wings, doors, windows, and rivets wear down. This can affect how long the plane can be used. Major aircraft manufacturers, such as Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, Embraer, Dassault, and Gulfstream, typically use a combination of factors to determine an airplane's lifespan, including how often it is used, how many times it takes off and lands, and how many hours it has flown.
For example, an Airbus A320 can typically perform about 60,000 takeoffs and landings before being retired, while a Boeing 747 can typically perform about 35,000. Depending on how an airline operates, it can take up to 30 years to reach these numbers.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 led to a decline in air travel and increased concerns about carbon emissions in aviation. As a result, airlines around the world have accelerated the retirement of large wide-body aircraft and less efficient planes. According to NAVEO, a UK-based aviation consultancy, the average age of retired airplanes in 2020 and 2021 was about 23 years.
So, where do retired airplanes go?
Here's a breakdown of what happens to retired airplanes:
1. Temporary Storage
Not all retired planes are permanently grounded. Some airlines store them for future use if market conditions improve. Deserts are popular storage locations because the dry climate prevents corrosion. The longer a plane is stored, the longer it takes to prepare for service. A narrow-body plane can take about 40 hours, and a wide-body plane about 100 hours. In some cases, it could even take 1,000 hours.
2. Sale to Other Airlines
Older planes that are still airworthy can be sold to other airlines. These buyers are often smaller companies looking for more affordable options.
3. Parting Out
If a plane is truly retired, its valuable parts can be salvaged and sold. About 90% of a plane can be recycled or reused. Disassembling a plane can take 30 to 60 days, yielding 1,500 to 2,000 parts, including engines, landing gear, and more.
Airlines can use these parts to repair other planes of the same type, which is often cheaper than buying new parts. Used aircraft engines are in high demand and can be worth up to $2 million.
4. Recycling into Everyday Items
Retired planes can be turned into everyday products. The metal from a plane can be melted down and used for various products like drink cans, bottle caps, and window frames.
Some companies create souvenirs from aircraft skin, while others make furniture from plane parts.
Many airlines have launched initiatives to recycle old aircraft parts into products like luggage, bags, and even keychains.
5. Converted to Other Uses
Retired planes can be repurposed into things like flight simulators or hotels. For example, Jumbo Stay in Stockholm converted a Boeing 747 into a hotel with 33 rooms.
The process of retiring a plane must be environmentally and safety-conscious. Buying a retired plane requires specific permits.