what is the average life of a commercial airplane?

Answer 1

There are some commercial airplanes, such as the Douglass DC-3 still in service after nearly 70 years, while others are retired after only 6-10 years use. It depends on the airplane and the way it was used and maintained. Some pressurized aircraft have limited life cycles (pressurizations) before they must be retired. Others seem to last forever.

A modern airliner such as a Boeing 737 may spend an average of fifteen to twenty years in airline service, but it takes a lot of maintenance to keep them in safe operating condition...

During its lifetime your average commercial aircraft will be completely disassembled, thoroughly inspected, repaired and reassembled (C/D checks) an average of six to eight times. The fuselage may be completely repainted two or three times, and the interior totally removed and replaced several times. It's engines will be removed and replaced with new or rebuilt units every two or three years, and its electronic systems, radios and controls will be inspected, repaired or serviced more frequently than some people change their socks.

If your average automobile would receive the same level of maintenance and care given to these big metal birds, your new Ford F-150 would still be running and looking like new after 100 years.

Answer 2

The "lifespan" of an airliner is not truly measured in time, but pressurization cycles. Each time the aircraft is pressurized during flight it's fuselage is subjected to stress. The "lifespan" of the aircraft is reached the metal fatigue’s and cracks.

The average "service life of 20 years" is as generalization that figures 51,000 flight hours and 75,000 pressurization cycles for most aircraft. If an aircraft is used on long haul routes it experiences relatively few pressurization cycles in it's "life" it will last far beyond 20 years.

As an example only a few years ago, the "average' age of a jet in the operating fleet of Northwest Airlines was 20 years according to a 1999 article. A 2005 news clip noted NWA continues to operate DC-9-31 aircraft that have an average age of 34 years old! Boeing 747s are also flying well beyond 20 years. However, while the airframe still has 'life' in it, some aircraft may not be economical (fuel hogs) to operate so their careers will be shorter.

Answer 3

The service life of an airplane is specific to its design and is usually measured in hours or cycles. The Boeing 747 was originally designed to operate for 60,000 flight hours. If the airplane were flown 3,000 hours a year, it would be expected to last 20 years. And as you see above, maintenance is important to how long the aircraft can actually fly. There have been 747's in service for over 100,000 hours with proper maintenance and upgrades.

Answer 4

The average life is 22 years.

But Airlines, lacking funds, try to lengthen this to even 30-35 years. Like Boeing 747 introduced in 1969, some are still flying---36 years!

Some Boeing 737s are flying for more than 30 years. What they do is get the structure life estimation and keep on flying...until overhauling is extremely difficult.

I know one old Boeing 707 which was overhauled very recently spending millions of dollars catching fire during take-off...

Life is like that....keep running...

Answer 5

it really depends on if airlines feel they need to replace


Northwest arlines for example still uses their older DC-9s and DC-10s from the 70s, while United and American got rid of theirs a long time ago


Some airlines I think still even operated the L-1011, which was made in the mid 60s

Answer 6

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RE :What is the average life of a commercial airplane?
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Answer 7

I've seen my fair share of old aircraft. One night I was flying to SAN from PHX and we were on this ancient aircraft. It had this annoying whistling noise and my mom said "I think I trained on this plane in the 80's!!" (used to be a flt attendant). She said she recognized the whistling sound by the rear door.

Answer 8

Is it possible for airlines to cut corners on maintenance of their aircraft and thus get into avoidable crashes?? This possibility frightens me sore!

Answer 9

This topic is worth more attention

Answer 10

25 years or so. depends on usage.