Brussels Airlines has had to temporarily suspend flights, with its entire fleet parked and stored at Brussels Airport. It is not a simple case of ‘lock up and leave’ though, with a team of 30 maintenance & engineering personnel ensuring the aircraft are stored safely. Storing an Airbus A330 takes about 400 man hours, with maintenance ongoing.
The storage process involves taping all windows to prevent sunlight from decolouring the aircraft interior, and covering all seats, to keep them crisp and clean. The team also packs the landing gears and engines so that birds cannot nest in them and to protect them from corrosion.
