Seized by its lessor in Hong Kong sometime during the month of March, a Boeing 747-8F most recently operated by Russia's AirBridgeCargo has been sent to a long-term aircraft storage site. After spending roughly three weeks in San Bernardino, California, the 747 registered VQ-BFE was moved to Marana Pinal Airport- a site typically associated with long-term aircraft storage.

The latest move for VQ-BFE

As we noted in a previous article, Singapore-based BOC Aviation had managed to reclaim its Boeing 747-8F from Russian airfreight operator AirBridgeCargo in late March. The jet, registered VQ-BFE, flew from Hong Kong to San Bernardino, California on March 25th and had been parked there for several weeks.

However, some three weeks after touching down in San Bernardino, the nearly eight-year-old aircraft took off yet again- this time bound for Marana Pinal Airport. The flight took just one hour, with the 747 taking off at 09:38 local time on April 14th and touching down at Marana at 10:39 local time.

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The most recent move of the AirBridgeCargo 747 took it to the dry desert climate of Arizona. Photo: FlightRadar24.com

What's in Marana?

Marana Pinal Airport is the gateway to Pinal Airpark- a massive 2,080 acre (8.42 square km) site most often associated with long-term aircraft storage. As the website Airplane Boneyards states, "one primary function is serving as a "boneyard" for civilian commercial aircraft as well as airliner storage, reconfiguration, and reclamation. Out-of-service airliners are stored there since the dry, low humidity of the Sonoran desert provides an ideal storage environment."

Of course, despite Pinal Airpark's strong association with being a 'boneyard,' it's important to know that there is more to the facility than just long-term storage. Indeed, it is also home to aircraft maintenance and modification activities. Two example firms carrying out such work at this Arizona facility are Ascent Aviation Services and Jet Yard Solutions. Of course, aircraft storage is also mentioned as a service for both companies.

As a result, it's not fully confirmed that long-term storage will be the fate of VQ-BFE, but for now, this seems to be this most likely answer.

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Pinal Airpark is one of several long-term storage sites located in the United States. The facility was quite full during the height of the 2020 pandemic. Photo: Getty Images

What else might happen to the repossessed jumbo jet?

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine drags on, it's possible that this aircraft could remain in Marana for weeks or even months. However, it also wouldn't seem impossible for the aircraft to be reallocated to another air operator.

The jet is legally owned by BOC Aviation and thus could hypothetically be leased out to another airline or cargo operator. Looking at data provided by ch-aviation, it doesn't look like any other airlines on BOC Aviation's long list of customers operate 747 freighters that come from BOC Aviation.

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Data shows, however, that Qatar Airways leases 13 aircraft from BOC Aviation- nine being Airbus A350-900s and the other four being Boeing 777-300ERs. We know that Qatar Airways also currently operates two Boeing 747-8Fs with its cargo division, making the airline group appear to be a suitable customer for BOC Aviation to make a pitch to for this seized aircraft. Of course, there are probably many other factors we're overlooking that would stand in the way of this seemingly perfect match.

As of January 31st, the 747-8F registered VQ-BFE had accumulated 27,935 flight hours over 5,128 flight cycles.

What do you think might happen to this aircraft in the coming months? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Sources: FlightRadar24.com, Airplane Boneyards