Advisory Services
Ferry, Storage
& Return to Service
Positioning and parking an aircraft without eroding its value — ferry permits and crews, storage to the manufacturer’s preservation programme, and a return to service planned before the aircraft is parked.
Asset Preservation
An Idle Aircraft Still Ages
Aircraft go into storage for ordinary reasons: between owners, waiting for a completion slot, during a lease transition, or while a sale closes. Storage that is not kept to the manufacturer’s preservation programme is expensive to recover from — corrosion, degraded seals, lapsed engine preservation, damaged batteries and tyres, and gaps in records that a buyer or lessor will price.
Aviation Asset Advisors manages ferry and storage as part of protecting the asset. We choose where the aircraft goes based on climate, security, maintenance support and what happens next; we make sure the preservation tasks are done and recorded; and we plan the return to service before the aircraft is parked.
For ferry flights we handle the regulatory side — special flight permits where the aircraft is not in a fully airworthy state, overflight and landing permissions, customs — alongside type-rated crew from our ferry pilot network and insurance arranged for the specific flight.
Process
From Parking Decision to Return to Service
Storage plan
Expected duration determines the preservation level, the location and the budget. A few weeks between owners is a very different plan from a year awaiting a completion slot.
Site selection
Hangar or outdoor storage chosen for climate, security, maintenance support and proximity to the next step — a sale, a completion or a lease.
Positioning flight
Permits, crew, routing, fuel and insurance arranged, with a special flight permit where required.
Induction and preservation
Preservation performed to the manufacturer’s storage procedures, including engine preservation, with the aircraft’s condition recorded on arrival.
Storage surveillance
Periodic preservation tasks verified and recorded, with condition reports to the owner.
Return to service
De-preservation, maintenance falling due, functional checks and test flight, with records complete for the next operator or buyer.
Scope
Ferry, Storage & Records
Ferry
- Special flight permits
- Overflight and landing clearances
- Type-rated ferry crew
- Insurance for the specific flight
Storage
- Site selection for climate and security
- Hangar or outdoor parking
- Preservation programme compliance
- Security and access control
Records
- Preservation task records
- Periodic condition reports
- Storage history for future buyers and lessors
Return to Service
- De-preservation planning
- Maintenance due on exit
- Functional checks and test flight
- Delivery to the next operator
At Sale
Why Storage History Matters at Sale
A buyer's technical team will ask where the aircraft has been and how it was kept.
- Buyers and lessors ask for proof the preservation programme was followed; missing records are priced as risk
- Prolonged storage in humid or coastal environments widens the corrosion inspection scope
- Lapses in engine preservation can trigger additional inspections on return
- Calendar-limited items — batteries, tyres, emergency equipment and some components — keep expiring while the aircraft is parked
- Return-to-service work grows with time in storage; planning it early avoids a long, unplanned downtime
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Hangar or outdoor storage?
It depends on the expected duration, the climate and the aircraft. For VIP aircraft with high-value interiors, a hangar or controlled environment is usually the better choice because cabin materials and electronics are sensitive to heat and humidity.
Can an aircraft that is not currently airworthy be ferried?
Often, yes, under a special flight permit issued subject to the authority's conditions. For US-registered aircraft, our FAA-appointed DAR-T can issue special flight permits within the limits of his authorisation.
How long can an aircraft stay in storage?
There is no single limit. The manufacturer's storage programme sets the preservation tasks and intervals for each storage period; the longer the aircraft is stored, the more work is needed to return it to service.
Who performs the preservation work?
An approved maintenance organisation at the storage site performs the tasks. We specify what is required, verify it is done and keep the records on the owner's behalf.
Can a ferry flight be combined with an inspection or delivery?
Yes. Positioning is often planned around a pre-purchase inspection, a completion delivery or a lease return, so the aircraft only moves once.
Related Advisory
Often Engaged Together
Need to Move or Store an Aircraft?
Contact us for a confidential consultation on ferry, storage or return to service for any aircraft type and any destination.
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