Roswell International Air Center (ROW) in New Mexico

 

Brief History and Background

Located in Roswell, New Mexico, this facility was originally known as Roswell Army International Airfield during World War II, and Walker Air Force Base in later years.

At the time of its closure in 1967, the facility was the largest air base of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), covering 4,600 acres.

During its active duty years, Walker supported a variety of military aircraft including the B-29 Superfortress, B-50, KC-97, B-36 Peacemaker, B-47 Stratojet, KC-135 Stratotanker, and B-52 Stratofortress.

Lines of UPS and American Airlines jets in storage at the Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico

 

The Roswell Air Center Today

The Roswell International Air Center (RIAC) was developed after the closure of the base. Two runways are provided, one at 13,001 feet, the other extending 9,999 feet.

Today, various industries are located at the Air Center, including companies which store, refurbish and dismantle airliners. The Air Center features ample areas for storage and reclamation, and its dry climate with typical relative humidity of 4%-8% is a perfect environment for preservation.

Airlines from around the world store, repair and obtain parts from the giant aircraft at Roswell.

Companies such as AerSale, Aircraft Technical Support, Avflight, Dean Baldwin Aircraft Painting, Stewart Industries International, and MISTIC are among the aviation businesses located at Roswell.

At any given time, up to 300 jetliners may be stored or being reworked at Roswell. Airlines which utilize RIAC include American Airlines, United, UPS, Air Canada, Scoot, Polar Air Cargo, Hawaiian Airlines, and many others.

The Roswell Air Center offers air service to both Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) via American Airlines. Rental car services are available, as are area hotels.

The Walker Aviation Museum is also located on site.

For more information, visit the Official website of the Roswell International Air Center

Airliners being dismantled at the Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico

 

 

Touring the Roswell International Air Center Area

The Roswell International Air Center (RIAC) is located five miles south of the central business district of the City.

The physical address of the Air Center is 1 Jerry Smith Circle, Roswell, NM 88203.

For driving directions to the airport, see the interactive map at the bottom of this page.

American Airlines jets in storage at the Roswell International Air Center

 

Roswell Air Center in the News

More Recent News Articles Related to the Roswell Air Center

Celebrate New Mexico: Roswell Air Center KOAT Albuquerque - 07/15/2022

Roswell Air Center commercial plane parking, storage still growing Roswell Daily Record - 10/17/2020

New aviation business to land at Roswell airport Albuquerque Journal - 09/28/2020

City positions Air Center for pandemic plane storage Los Alamos Monitor - 04/04/2020

CAVU Aerospace Increases Capacity at Roswell. Victorville and Stuttgart for Short Term & Long-Term Storage of Aircraft Amidst Crisis CAVU Aerospace - 03/13/2020

Roswell wants airlines to park grounded planes at its airport KOB4 - 03/12/2020

The End of an Era: American Says Farewell to the Super 80 American Airlines - 09/04/2019

American Airlines Announces Schedule of Final MD-80 Revenue Flights American Airlines - 06/24/2019

Disappearing into the Desert: American Sends Eight Super 80s to Roswell AirlineGeeks - 08/21/2018

Elvis' private jet auctioned for $430,000 after sitting on a runway for 35 years at Roswell NM boneyard Fox News - 05/28/2017

Recycling jetliners boosts local economy KRQE - Albuquerque NM - 04/04/2017

Aboard the last flight to an airplane boneyard CNN - 12/21/2016

American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-80s retired to Roswell International Air Center Forbes - 08/29/2016

The workhorse of the skies is being put out to pasture Bloomberg - 08/23/2016

 

Aerial View of Roswell International Air Center

Aerial view of the Roswell International Air Center with airliners in storage (2022)

FAA Diagram of the Roswell International Air Center (ROW)

 

 

UPS cargo jets in storage at Roswell

Photos of the Roswell International Air Center

Airliners lined up on the apron at the Roswell International Air Center

American Airlines McDonnell-Douglas MD-8X jetliners at the Roswell International Air Center

Air Canada and UPS jetliners at the Roswell International Air Center

Scoot Tigerair jetliner at the Roswell International Air Center

Kenya Airways jetliner at the Roswell International Air Center

Need Help Spotting Airliners at Roswell? Identification of individual aircraft models stored at Roswell, or elsewhere, can be hard, considering the number of jet airliners serving the worldwide travel industry, and in desert storage. Visit our new website and explore guides to spotting the common jet airliners of the day from Airbus, Boeing, Embraer and Bombardier. ... at AirlinerSpotter.com

Links and More Resources about Roswell

• Official website of the Roswell International Air Center
• Walker Aviation Museum
• Walker Air Force Base History ... at WarbirdNews.com
• City of Roswell, New Mexico
• See Roswell - Visitor Information
• Roswell Chamber of Commerce
• Fly Roswell
• Roswell UFO Museum
• Chaves County, New Mexico

YouTube Video from the Mayor of Roswell about the International Air Center

YouTube Video - "American Airlines Retires MD-80s to Roswell"

YouTube Video - "Roswell Boneyard is Booming"

Interactive Map of the Roswell International Air Center Area

 

 

Map of locations of active and post-WWII airplane boneyards and plane storage facilities in the United States and worldwide