September 30, 2025, 5:09 am | Read time: 3 minutes
In Teruel, the provincial capital of the Spanish region of Aragon, lies the largest aircraft graveyard in Europe. Dozens of planes from airlines around the world are parked there, some of which may never take off again. However, the airport has brought an unexpected boom to the region.
Just 15 kilometers from the Spanish city of Teruel is one of the most unusual airports in Europe. Here, planes mostly come to land, sometimes never to take off again. In the middle of nowhere near Aragon’s provincial capital, on the grounds of the Plataforma Aeroportuaria de Teruel, or PLATA, is now the largest aircraft graveyard in Europe. Thanks to this unique airport, the entire region, one of the most sparsely populated in Spain, is now booming.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the airport played a crucial role. With international air traffic significantly restricted, 130 jets from around the world were parked here for months. A major advantage of the location is the relatively low cost of parking the planes.
10 Percent of All Planes Here Are Scrapped
According to “aerotelegraph,” planes from airlines such as Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, Austrian Airways, Alitalia, and Iberia can be found here. But also those from China, from airlines like Lucky Air, Hainan Airlines, and China Eastern. The desert-like landscape around Teruel is ideal for an aircraft graveyard, as it almost always has dry weather and more than 240 days of sunshine a year. These conditions prevent the planes from rusting prematurely. Not all of them end their existence permanently in this unusual airport parking lot.
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If a plane is to be scrapped permanently, this can also be done on the grounds of the aircraft graveyard. The French company Tarmac Aerosave handles all aspects, from storage to maintenance to “recycling.”
Boom for the Entire Region
While for many planes in Teruel it may be the end of the line, the aircraft graveyard has brought an unexpected and highly welcome boom to the region as a whole. Many local businesses have adapted to the still-growing operations at PLATA. Since 2014, the University of Teruel has been offering summer courses on aviation. Since 2017, one can also train as an aviation mechanic at a local vocational school.
The airport is also booming thanks to its aircraft graveyard. In the coming years, the infrastructure is set to be massively expanded. Currently, Europe’s largest jet parking lot offers space for 140 wide-body aircraft and another 250 smaller planes, but in the future, up to 400 long-haul aircraft will be able to be stored here. New hangars are already under construction. An airport spokesperson told “aerotelegraph” that 25 million euros will be invested in the coming years.
According to “Deutsche Welle,” 15,000 planes will be permanently scrapped in the next 20 years as they reach their age limit. One of the “most prominent” planes that recently found its final resting place here is the Airbus A340-300 “Konrad Adenauer.” The government aircraft served as a safe means of transport around the world for Chancellor Angela Merkel and other government members for years. Earlier this year, it was finally decommissioned and scrapped in Teruel.