One of the three abandoned planes with tail number, TF-ARM, on the tarmac.
Joshua Paul / AP
Three 747 jets that were abandoned at Malaysia's main airport more than a year ago have officially overstayed their welcome.
Unable to track down the owner of the jets, Kuala Lumpur International Airport officials on Tuesday posted notices in two newspapers warning that the jets could be seized and sold if no one claims them.
Malaysia Airports / Via malaysiaairports.com.my
The notice posted inThe Star and Sin Chew Daily gives the "untraceable" owner of the three Boeing 747-200F freighters 14 days to collect the aircraft. Failure to do so could mean the airport will sell "or otherwise dispose of" the aircraft and use the proceeds to offset expenses.
In an interview with Bloomberg, airport General Manager Zainol Mohamad Isa declined to say how much in parking fees and other debts remained outstanding. But in its advertisement, Malaysia Airports stated that the public notice under the 1969 Civil Aviation Act "is a common and reasonable step in the process of debt recovery," particularly if the owner is a foreign entity "whereby exhaustive steps undertaken to find a contact person have not been successful."
The jets have reportedly been passed from one airline to the next over the years, and the last known owners from several years ago have denied the jets were part of their fleet.
Left to right, two of the three abandoned planes with tail numbers, TF-ARM and TF-ARN.
Joshua Paul / AP
However, even if Malaysia Airports, which operates the international terminal, seizes the jets, they're unlikely to make a killing.
The 747-200F line has been out of production since 1991 and the market for four-engine freighter jets is weak, Bloomberg reported. The resale value of the aging aircraft also greatly diminishes with the age of the model year.
One of the three abandoned planes with tail number, TF-ARN.
Joshua Paul / AP
