Two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft delivered to the Brazilian airline GOL Linhas Aereas in the fall of 2025 were taken out of service less than six months later and sent for dismantling. This marks the first known instance of 737 MAX family jets being scrapped for parts at such an early age.
The planes, registered as PS-GRM and PS-GRN, were handed over to the carrier in September and November 2025. By February 2026, they had ceased regular operations, and in March they were flown to Pinal Airpark in Arizona, USA—one of the world’s largest hubs for aircraft storage and teardown.
According to industry media, the cause was chronic technical issues that emerged during the manufacturing process. Reports indicate the aircraft experienced failures with CFM LEAP-1B engines, as well as problems related to weight and balance, which led to extended downtime and high maintenance costs.
Ultimately, the airline returned the planes to the lessor, who then sold them to the British company AerFin, a specialist in aviation spare parts supply.
This incident comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Boeing’s production quality. It was also recently revealed that the company was forced to write off one of the first Boeing 777-9s built, as upgrading it to the current configuration proved economically unviable.
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