Coronavirus: Airlines parking planes at smaller airports to save on storage costs during COVID-19 pandemic | UK News
An growing variety of main airways are flying planes to a Gloucestershire airport to save on storage charges during the pandemic.
Storage and components firm Skyline Aero Limited – primarily based at Cotswold Airport – says it has seen enquiries from airways wanting to park planes enhance by “several hundred percent”.
The firm’s chief govt, Bradley Gregory, informed Sky News that airways are saving on costs by storing planes away from hub airports.
He stated: “When the outbreak first began, we were receiving quite a surge of initially leasing companies, then airlines, looking to store aeroplanes for longer lengths of time. I’d say enquiries are up several hundred percent.”
Sky News visited the airport two days after a airplane from Italy arrived for storage.
Three British Airways planes, together with two 747s, arrived at the airport in April.
The firm normally offers with 40 to 50 planes arriving annually – primarily to be damaged down for components.
During the virus outbreak, the enterprise has turn out to be nearly totally centered on storage, because the trade fights for its very survival.
With nearly all of planes grounded, the components enterprise has collapsed.
With many planes grounded, the demand for components has dried up
Mr Gregory stated: “We’ve seen the variety of enquiries fall by about 90% for part and piece components.
“There have been a few interesting enquiries for planes that are still in maintenance – so the more obscure parts are still being requested but the more routine parts that airlines change on a daily basis just aren’t being purchased because there just aren’t as many planes flying.”
Numerous airways, together with BA and Ryanair, have introduced plans for redundancies and Professor Andrew Grave, an aerospace analyst at the University of Bath, believes the sector could by no means return to pre-pandemic ranges.
He stated: “We have over 800 airlines in the world. It’s always been a very difficult industry to run profitably. The best predictions we have at the moment is 400 to 500 may be bankrupt by June.”
He added: “A lot of those aircraft are leased, the leasing companies will want them back or some kind of recompense so it’s a massive challenge for the airlines, leasing companies and banks that support them.”
