The Boeing 787 completed its first passenger flight just over 12 years ago with All Nippon Airways and is still considered the most modern commercial aircraft.
But strange as it may seem, there are jets of this type already condemned to become scrap. Two 787-8s that flew for Norwegian Air and were parked in Scotland since 2019 were scrapped last year so their parts could be resold.
It seemed like an isolated case, but in recent days the company C&L Engine Solutions announced the dismantling of yet another widebody 787 Dreamliner.
It will be the first 787 with GEnX engines to be dismantled as the other two used Trent 1000 turbofans, but the aircraft with serial number 35507 has other surprising aspects.
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Most impressively, the jet with registration number N947BA has been rejected since it flew in 2016. The aircraft was part of an order from Royal Air Maroc, but was reportedly not accepted due to assembly defects and excess weight.
Jet only made a few ferry flights
Boeing ended up registering the 787 in its name and passed it on in 2017 to the company Crystal Luxury Air, which intended to transform it into a VIP aircraft.
The twin-engine jet then flew to Victorville, California, where hundreds of aircraft are stored awaiting a better destination.
But 787 N947BA was ‘forgotten’ at the airport for almost seven years until it took off on March 2 for Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico.
There the aircraft, which once sported the Royal Air Maroc livery and spent most of its time with a white fuselage, will find its final fate as it becomes just a stockpile of parts with wings.
“The timing of this project for the 787 is perfect,” said Tim Brecher, president of C&L Engine Solutions. “The 787 fleet is reaching the 12-year mark since first deliveries and entering a busy schedule of heavy maintenance. The shortage of spare parts in the market, combined with ongoing supply chain challenges, makes this project critical for OEMs and operators.”
According to Brecher, the 787 only had a few ferry flight cycles completed, which makes the work unusual. A sad goodbye to such a special and at the same time rejected commercial jet.
