Airlines often store their jets for various reasons. Sometimes, it’s after the plane retires before it is scrapped for good. But many aircraft are also stored temporarily before they are brought back into service.
One such plane is a Bombardier CRJ700 that was stored in Arizona a few years ago but recently flew its first commercial flight after re-activating for American Eagle.
Stored in Arizona
Another Bombardier CRJ700 has been added to the active fleet of PSA Airlines
after spending some time at the aircraft storage facility at Kingman Airport in Mohave County, Arizona. The aircraft is registered as N723PS, an almost 20-year-old Bombardier CRJ700.
It carries out regional operations for American Airlines
under the American Eagle brand and can seat a total of 65 people across two cabins – economy and business.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft went into storage in October 2022 after flying to Kingman Airport. Some of its last flights before that were to destinations such as Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Detroit.
After it went into storage, N723PS periodically flew some ‘unknown’ flights, most likely to keep the aircraft in shape for its eventual re-entry into service.
Back in service
Hawk-eyed aviation enthusiasts have been tracking the movement of N723PS. According to a thread on airliners.net, the plane performed some return-to-service check flights before once again flying scheduled commercial flights.
Data from Flightradar24 shows that it was initially scheduled to fly from North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB) in Harrison County, West Virginia, to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on January 2, which was canceled. Its flight on the same route on January 3 was also canceled, before its first commercial flight between the two airports on January 5.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
The CRJ700 in question has multiple flights lined up for the next few days, including those between Charlotte and Dayton International Airport (DAY) in Ohio and to other airports like Washington and Cincinnati.
Aircraft graveyard
Kingman Airport, where the plane was parked for the last couple of years, is one of the largest aircraft graveyards in the United States. These are where planes are stored for long or short periods. Some aircraft are scrapped of valuable parts while others eventually return to service.
Kingman Airport usually houses regional jets for major airlines like Delta Air Lines
, United, and American Airlines, but is also known to store many old war jets. Another aircraft graveyard in Arizona is Phoenix Goodyear Airport, which is often used to store several widebody and narrowbody planes, such as the Boeing 737s and 777s, among others.
Photo: photojohn830 | Shutterstock
Aircraft storage facilities are mostly found in warm, arid climates, which makes them ideal for storing planes without worrying about humidity and weather damage. Some other facilities in the US are situated at the Mojave Air and Space Port and the Southern California Logistics Airport, located near Victorville, about 90 mi northeast of Los Angeles on the southwestern edge of the Mojave Desert. Simple Flying has looked at these airports and more in the article below.
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Flying American’s regional operations
American Airlines has an extensive network of regional flights operated by several carriers, either wholly-owned regional carriers under the American Eagle brand or those that collaborate with American and other major carriers.
PSA Airlines is one of the wholly-owned regional carriers under the American Eagle brand. It was founded in 1979 as Vee Neal Airlines and was later renamed after Pacific Southwest Airlines. It is headquartered at Dayton International Airport and operates 500 daily flights to nearly 100 destinations on behalf of American Eagle.
Photo: Austin Deppe | Shutterstock
Envoy Air is another one of American Airlines’ wholly-owned subsidiaries under the American Eagle brand that serves more than 160 destinations with 800 daily flights. Some other airlines that fly regional operations for American Airlines include Piedmont Airlines, Air Wisconsin, SkyWest Airlines, and Republic Airways. Simple Flying has looked at American’s regional operations closely in the article below.
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Examined: The 6 Airlines That Operate American Airlines’ Regional ‘American Eagle’ Flights
Out of the six airlines, SkyWest and Republic are the largest regional carriers in terms of their fleet size.