By 1964 TWA had become a major international figure in aviation, which prompted a move of the airline's executive offices to New York City.

The Moonliner II was then removed from the building's roof by TWA's new owners, shortly after Howard Hughes sold his controlling interest in the airline.

There it slowly fell into disrepair for the next 25 years, as it stood on a campground located nearby their travel-trailer manufacturing plant, just south of Interstate 70 between Kansas City and St. Louis.

The deteriorated Moonliner replica was then sold to and carefully restored by a longtime Disney collector, until once again sporting its original red and white TWA markings.

The historic restoration of the TWA headquarters building led to the fabrication of a brand new Moonliner II replica begun in March 2006 by the Kansas City office of the Bratton Corporation.