The lifecycle of a commercial jet does not simply end when it is removed from a carrier’s active schedule. The fate of these multi-million dollar machines is often seen as a mystery, yet understanding the retirement process is essential for grasping the true sustainability and economic scale of the aviation industry as a whole. So in this video, we take a look at what really happens to airplanes after retirement, the complex journey an aircraft takes after its final commercial touchdown, from the arid storage tracks of the desert to the high-tech recycling facilities that salvage its most valuable components.