People flying on cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages usually dont think twice about the age of the plane they are flying on. More fliers may be wondering about this when they fly after a five foot hole opened in the roof of a 15 year old Southwest jet in April.
Experts claim that the age of a plane is not a concern since well maintained planes can fly safely for decades. Although older planes require more repairs, an aircrafts age has never been the reason for a passenger death. Safety problems usually arise from pilot training and fatigue.
U.S. jets average age is 11 years old vs. the world average of 10. The oldest fleet of jets is Venezuelas at 28 years.
A plane can theoretically fly indefinitely so long as it is well maintained. However as planes age they need more frequent inspections and bigger and costlier repairs. This in turn means such planes spend less time flying paying passengers. Newer planes are not only cheaper to maintain, they also offer significant fuel savings.
The reality is that older planes become financially unattractive to fly long before they become unsafe.
Almost 25 percent of planes flown by U.S. airlines are over 15 years old which is about the same as a decade ago. More frequent inspections are required by the government as an airplane or certain parts age. There is no mandatory retirement age for planes.
The most recent two U.S. fatal airline crashes (a Continental Express flight to Buffalo, New York and a Delta Connection flight out of Kentucky) were only one and five years old respectively.
www.cheapfares.com