Are Older Planes More Dangerous?

admin - News | 2017-08-31 02:16:58

 

Let's be honest: We've all probably judged the safety of an airplane by how new and modern it looks. It's hard not to. But is it superficial to be taken in by new seats and better lighting, or are older airplanes actually less safe?

 

"It depends," Bruce Landsberg, the former president of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's Air Safety Institute, tells Condé Nast Traveler. "There are no clear-cut answers."

 

There are some general rules of thumb, though. "It's ultimately about maintenance. Sometimes it's a matter of luck, a matter of design, or a matter of how the plane is used or abused," Landsberg says, noting that consistent maintenance is the key to a long airplane life. He says that maintenance requirements for planes have become much more stringent, adding that "the FAA and airlines have become a whole lot more sensitive toward aging aircraft." (For instance, all aircraft used for commercial flights must pass a safety inspection every 100 hours of flying time.)

 

It's common to see 20-, 25- and even 30-year-old planes in use, because Boeing and Airbus build passenger aircraft to last much longer than an automobile.

 

"The core of a plane is very expensive, and they are overbuilt. They are extremely durable. They have to be," Landsberg says.

 

They are "overbuilt"-or constructed tougher than actually needed-because airplanes operate in high-stress environments, running anywhere from 65 to 85 percent of their maximum power compared to an automobile, which is typically running at 25 percent of its power. Meanwhile, the aircraft frame is constantly managing the pressurization and depressurization of the interior and enduring the strain of extreme conditions.

 

"Your car engine is basically loafing," Landsberg says, "while an airplane engine has to keep you aloft."

 

Airplanes are such a costly investment that airlines are much more likely to replace aging parts on their existing machines than to buy an all-new plane, which can retail for anywhere from $80 million to $400 million, depending on the make and model. Passengers may actually be flying on an old aircraft and not even know it. After all, engines and mechanics can be replaced. So can avionics-the electronic systems controlled from the cockpit. In the cabin, airlines often replace carpet, seats, lighting, and other cosmetic features.

 

So how does an airline decide when to retire a plane?

 

"It all comes down to the economics," Landsberg says. "At some point, there will be something so expensive to fix, the airline will say it isn't worth it and turn the thing into scrap aluminum."

 

Fuel burn-or as it's called in the auto world, gas mileage-is one of the major factors airlines consider for retirement. Older airplanes are far less efficient than newer models, and, at some point, replacing parts no longer makes financial sense. Airlines will often take their old gas guzzlers out of circulation when fuel prices are high, says Landsberg. And newer airplanes are often quieter than older models, which many customers prefer.

 

The age of a typical aircraft varies by airline, according to airfleets.net, a website that monitors the world's major airline fleets. Every airline has a different succession plan for when-and how-it will replace older aircraft. Delta Air Lines has the oldest average fleet age among the world's largest global carriers, at 17 years old. Air Canada and United Airlines follow with an average aircraft age of 14.2 and 14.1 years, respectively.

 

Aircraft like the Boeing 737 or Airbus 320, which often fly many domestic routes per day, tend to have a shorter lifespan, Landsberg says. "Something going up and down more frequently will wear out more quickly than something that's used to fly over the Atlantic," he says.

 

In the end, Landsberg says, age of the aircraft does not affect safety nearly as much as the maintenance of it.

 

"One of the standard jokes in the aviation business is a customer asking if the airplane is safe, and the pilot saying, 'How do you think it got this old?'"

 

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