TUCSON, Ariz. — The Marana Regional Airport has nineteen commercial airplanes in storage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Airlines are reducing their flight operation capacities by 70% or more. This requires major airlines to ground portions of their fleet and park airplanes where they can find space, and one of those places was in Marana.
The aircraft are Embraer 175s owned by American Airlines, which have a 76-seat capacity and are used on regional routes.
American Airlines is paying for them to be stored at the airport, so the town of Marana is benefiting economically from it.
"Just for this one airport, it’s helping our revenue," Marana Regional Airport Director Steve Miller said. "Although its bad for the airline industry, it’s helping out the Town of Marana."
These aircraft are anticipated to be parked in Marana for 12 months, and many more may be coming in the near future.
