A NUMBER of aircraft operated by collapsed Hungarian airline Malev have started to leave Shannon airport destined for a scrapyard in the US, despite the planes being less than a decade old.
Malev ceased operations on February 3rd after the European Commission ordered the company to repay millions of euro it received in state aid from 2007 to 2010.
Fifteen Boeing 737 jets, formerly flown by Malev but owned by a US-based aircraft leasing company, arrived in Shannon less than a day after Hungary’s national airline collapsed.
They were moved to Shannon in the largest repositioning of aircraft seen in Europe in many years, and brought welcome business for the midwest airport and several airport-based companies.
On Monday, six of the aircraft were towed to the terminal building to be refuelled ahead of their departure to the US yesterday. The planes are the older Boeing 737-600 series jets, built in 2003.