Like many people, I used to believe that an aircraft’s age was simply determined by the number of years it had been in service. Consequently, I would always opt for airlines with younger fleets, assuming that older planes were more prone to breakdowns and posed a higher risk. However, I’ve since discovered that an aircraft’s age and its ability to remain in service aren’t solely based on the years it’s been flying.
Instead, it’s all about the number of pressurization cycles an aircraft has undergone.
The Real Age of Aircraft
Aircraft age is measured in pressurization cycles, which occur every time a plane ascends or descends. This process helps make flights comfortable for passengers and crew, but also puts the aircraft’s structure under immense stress, causing metal fatigue. Eventually, cracks may form around rivets and fasteners, compromising the plane’s fuselage.
Aircraft manufacturers, like Boeing and Airbus, determine the number of pressurization cycles their models can withstand. But ultimately, it’s up to the aircraft owner to decide when to retire the plane, as long as it meets safety requirements and undergoes regular maintenance.
You might be surprised to learn that the average age of commercial aircraft worldwide is 13 years, with some Boeing 747s still operating at 30 years old or more! Of course, not all planes are created equal – the Lockheed TriStar, for instance, was only designed to last around 20 years.
When aircraft finally reach their retirement age, they can still find new purposes in museums, hotels, or even as spare parts for other planes. Some, however, end up in aircraft graveyards, either temporarily or permanently.
Retiring an aircraft isn’t cheap, especially when it comes to storing large jumbo jets. To offset these costs, many airlines in the US and Europe sell their aging aircraft to smaller airlines for a fraction of the price of a new plane.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
