The lifespan of an aircraft is a crucial consideration for airlines, manufacturers, and aviation enthusiasts alike.
“Just like laptops, printers, or mobile phones, commercial aircraft eventually need to be replaced,” writes Vance Hilderman for Aviation Pros. “A broken phone is a cause for annoyance and inconvenience. A broken or outdated airplane? That’s a much bigger deal. Aircraft are entrusted with the precious cargo of hundreds of lives. Their safety and reliability need to be beyond question.”
Understanding the factors that influence an airplane's longevity and the decisions surrounding its retirement is essential for ensuring safety, efficiency, and sustainability in the aviation industry.
Just like humans, whose physical condition is a factor of lifestyle and wear and tear on the body, aircraft age according to many factors.
“On average, a plane can fly for 30 years before it needs to be retired. Usually, a plane’s life span isn’t measured in years but rather in pressurization cycles,” wrote Hilderman. “Every time a plane takes flight, it is pressurized, which puts stress on the fuselage and the wings. This is called metal fatigue. Short-haul planes, which undergo multiple takeoffs and landings each day, will have a shorter life span than long-haul flights.”
Several key factors play a role in determining the lifespan of an aircraft:
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the aviation industry, including the lifespans and retirement decisions of aircraft.
Flight Global reported in 2020 that “the coronavirus travel downturn is accelerating the retirement of aircraft that are older, less fuel-efficient, and higher maintenance.”
On the other hand, groundings and fewer takeouts during the pandemic led some aircraft to an extension of their service life. The pandemic effects on aircraft lifespans included:
Ensuring the safety of aircraft throughout their lifespan is of utmost importance to the aviation industry.
Analysis of Impact of Aircraft Age on Safety for Air Transport Jet Airplanes in 2014 for the MIT International Center for Air Transportation (ICAT) found that there is no correlation between the fatal accident rates and aircraft age up to 27 years of age and above this age there was a slight increase in the fatal accident rate, but the accident rate data is not significant due to the limited number of operational years for these older aircraft cohorts.
“Concerns regarding the safety of aging air transport jet aircraft, due to corrosion, fatigue or Widespread Fatigue Damage (WFD) rose following the dramatic inflight explosive decompression of Aloha Airlines Flight 243 in 1988,” reported ICAT. “The pressurization vessel of the 19-year old, heavily used Boeing 737-297 was compromised, and one occupant was ejected. The aircraft was, however, able to land. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had 35,486 hours of flight time and 89,680 flight cycles. The number of flight cycles was unusually high due to the short stage lengths that Aloha Airlines flew in Hawaii.”
Safety concerns and regulations include:
So, what is the typical lifespan of your favorite aircraft?
Remember, the lifespans of aircraft can vary significantly depending on the model, usage, and operating conditions. Here are some general estimates for popular aircraft types:
When an aircraft reaches the end of its operational lifespan, several options are available for its retirement and disposal – shuffleboard in Florida is not one of the options!
“Retired planes are headed to one of two places: another buyer or the scrapyard. If the plane is still safe to fly, or if a buyer is more willing to pay for maintaining an old plane than buying a new plane, a plane might be resold to another fleet,” wrote Hilderman. “When there are no buyers for old planes, they are typically sent to scrapyards where they’re disassembled for parts.”
Here are the options for those aircraft being sidelined or sent to retirement:
The factors affecting lifespans, such as design, maintenance, and operational conditions, play a significant role in determining the longevity of an aircraft.
The impact of the pandemic has prompted airlines to re-evaluate their fleet strategies and make difficult decisions regarding the retirement of older aircraft.
As the aviation industry continues to evolve, it is essential to prioritize safety, adhere to regulations, and adopt sustainable practices in aircraft retirement and disposal.
By doing so, we can ensure that the world's most popular aircraft models continue to serve passengers and airlines reliably while minimizing their environmental impact.