From Desert Storage to Africa: Aging American Jets Begin a Mysterious Second Life

At the same time, two aircraft that had been parked for a long period in the United States are also being flown to Africa for a new owner. What exactly these aircraft will be doing there remains unknown.

On April 28, the former Kalitta Boeing 727 freighter N725CK began its ferry flight from Oscoda toward Africa. The aircraft had been sitting idle in Oscoda since May 2023. After a stop in Gander, it continued to Santa Maria in the Azores. The next stop was expected to be Ouagadougou, Mali. The most likely final destination is N’Djamena in Chad.

^{Photo by Aeroporto de Santa Maria via Facebook}

Two other former Kalitta Boeing 727s purchased by the same owner had also previously flown to Chad. The first jet delivered, registered as N726CK, ended its ferry flight in N’Djamena, Chad. A second aircraft, N729CK, also flew to Chad, where it remained for several days before continuing to Rand Airport near Johannesburg, where it is still parked.

The purpose of this aircraft remains unclear. As of April 2026, N729CK was still parked at Rand. Engine number 2 was missing because it was undergoing overhaul.

N726CK is very likely being used to transport weapons and ammunition from Chad to South Sudan for the army of the Rapid Support Forces, a military force receiving significant support from the UAE. The FAA register, however, states that this aircraft was exported to Malawi.

Former American Airlines MD-83 flown to Africa

The other old-timer beginning a new life in Africa is the former American Airlines MD-83 N9681B. This aircraft had been sitting idle in Roswell since September 2019. It also departed on April 28, 2026, flying from Roswell to Opa-locka.

_{N9681B photographed while landing at Opa Locka (April 28, 2026) by Gianfranco Abrusci @Miamispotter}

The flight plan indicates that the aircraft will continue to Paramaribo–Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport in Suriname. From there, it is expected to cross the Atlantic Ocean en route to Sal International Airport, the main international airport of Cape Verde. Its next destination is Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It remains completely unclear what will happen to this aircraft once it arrives in Ethiopia. It may possibly continue on to Maputo.

According to the FAA database, the new owner of the aircraft is Aircraft Guaranty Corp Trustee. Under U.S. federal law, foreign nationals are allowed to obtain highly valued U.S. aircraft registrations if they transfer title to a trustee. Aircraft operating under U.S. “N-registration” are believed to face less scrutiny from foreign authorities. The former owner was accused by prosecutors of providing U.S.-registered private aircraft to drug cartels and traffickers. She was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

In February 2026, two other former American Airlines MD-83s — N9677W and N966TW — were also ferried from storage in the United States. Their journey ended in Maputo, Mozambique. The intention was reportedly for these two aircraft to be converted for cargo operations. The FAA database states that N9677W and N966TW were exported to Mozambique.

It is a striking trend: more and more aging aircraft are being pulled out of long-term storage to begin a second life as cargo aircraft in Africa.

Earlier photographs also showed that a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar with registration TZ-MHI, which has been sitting and deteriorating at Nairobi Airport in Kenya since 2010, is now being restored to airworthy condition once again.