according to this, they stole those aircraft....
"Some decommissioned jets stay in storage on the chance that they might one day fly again. On rare occasions, a retired jet will be sold to film or television productions, such as the 32-year-old Lockheed L-1011 TriStar bought by ABC for use on the television series “Lost.” Sometimes, you might even see jets transformed into hotels or purchased by aviation collectors with deep pockets.
More often, decommissioned aircrafts have their parts stripped for reuse or resale before being melted down for scrap. Almost every part of an airplane—even the toilet bowl—can be upcycled for use in newer planes. In other words, its components are modularized.
Secondhand aircraft parts are hot commodities because most still have a lot of life in them, but are much cheaper than ordering new parts from the manufacturer. About $2.5 billion worth of salvaged parts entered the air market between 2009 and 2011 alone. These parts may be sold overseas to countries that have different regulatory standards on which parts are still usable. Below is a rough approximation of the market prices for various components.
Engines are in highest demand because their turbines contain rotating blades and disks that must be swapped out on a regular basis to stay in compliance with aircraft safety regulations. Trading out these blades and disks for hand-me-down-parts can cost upwards of $2 million. That’s roughly half the price of using brand new parts.
Depending on its age, secondhand landing gear from a 747 can fetch up to $300,000. Cockpit screens go for $30,000 each. An auxiliary power unit might set you back $25,000. An inflight-service cart will cost around $200. Airlines can purchase spare parts by special arrangement with airlines, through a third-party reseller, or from a government liquidation marketplace. You may even be able to find them on eBay.
Once a jet has been stripped bare of usable parts, its metal frame is redeemed for scrap value. A 747 can fetch up to $55,000 for its scrap alone.
And who knows what happens to the scrap once it gets recycled? The next time you sip a can of Coke, consider that what you’re holding could have flown across the stratosphere before it landed in your refrigerator."
