{"id":165582,"date":"2026-02-15T10:22:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T10:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/165582\/"},"modified":"2026-02-15T10:22:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T10:22:24","slug":"con-air-boeing-727-that-was-abandoned-at-el-paso-airport-for-two-decades-was-sold-for-the-price-of-10-iphones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/165582\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Con Air\u2019 Boeing 727 that was abandoned at El Paso Airport for two decades was sold for the price of 10 iPhones"},"content":{"rendered":"

This \u2018Con Air\u2019 Boeing 727 was just sold for peanuts after being rescued from an abandoned field near El Paso Airport in Texas, where it had lived for 20 years.<\/p>\n

To be fair, \u2018lived\u2019 is a generous term.<\/p>\n

The plane is in terrible condition with missing bits and tech<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the people who bought it have an interesting plan for it.<\/p>\n

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The reason why this Boeing 727 was so cheap<\/p>\n

This Boeing 727 (slightly smaller than its \u2018brother\u2019, the 707<\/a>), formerly used as a Con Air (transportation of prisoners) aircraft, was abandoned at El Paso Airport in Texas about 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

Built in 1966, the aircraft remained operational for about 30-odd years but then, in the early 2000s, it was abandoned and it has been \u2018gutted\u2019 for parts since.<\/p>\n

And you can tell.<\/p>\n

The interior, for instance, is completely barren with just three seats.<\/p>\n

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The plane is no longer airworthy, and it\u2019ll probably never be airworthy again, which explains the low sale price.<\/p>\n

The winning bid was $8,320, plus taxes and fees.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t even buy a car for that.<\/p>\n

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Interestingly, the new owners have no intention of making it airworthy again \u2013 partly because they know they wouldn\u2019t be able to, but also because they have a different idea.<\/p>\n

Apparently, they want to refurbish the jet and turn it into a local landmark<\/a> with an \u2018immersive aviation experience\u2019 for people.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the movie was titled Con Air<\/p>\n

Con Air is simply a nickname for the Justice Prisoner Air Transportation System (JPATS), but the name probably stuck because it\u2019s catchier than the official acronym.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>govdeals.com<\/p>\n

Probably the same reason why US Secret Service call it the \u2018Presidential Limo<\/a>\u2018, but everyone calls it \u2018The Beast\u2019.<\/p>\n

A 90s blockbuster starring Nicolas Cage, Ving Rhames, and John Cusack (among others), also used the name.<\/p>\n

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