Background and Reasoning for Study
Currently the author works for a section of the Boeing Company that leases used airplanes to airlines across the world. One of the major focuses that is coming down the pipeline from the FAA is aircraft aging and the effects that is has on the aircraft. Aircraft aging isn't just about the years that pass but has to do with the cyclic impact of using the aircraft on a day to day basis. Every time an aircraft takes and lands (known as a flight cycle) there is wear and tear performed on the aircraft. During the course of a flight cycle the fuselage of the airplane undergoes and expansion and a contraction which produces wear on the material. Continuous wear ends up producing damage and if not caught in time can produce catastrophic results.
Since the author works closely with aged aircraft the importance of understanding Aging Aircraft and how it effects the market is really important to her job. The FAA is starting to crack down and has created a questionare that is to be completed by commerically flown aircraft operating under the FAA. What the issue is now is how to extend those requirements past just the operators in the United States to those in other countries where these requirements may not be prevelant.
Why This Topic is Important
Every day the fleet gets older and people continue to board the airplanes. Humans have trust that no matter the age of the aircraft that it will depart their current airport and land at their destination without fail. This has to be accomplished by correctly maintaining the aircraft. One major question is just how old the fleet is out there. Well the average fleet is about 14 years old according to a study conducted in 2010 by The Airline Monitor. That's based on the major carriers in the United States alone. A well maintained aircraft could easily last longer in the fleet before finally being decommissioned. Other websites suggest that the retirement age on most fleet aircraft are about 25 years old as of 2013.
Why are these airplanes being retired so early? Is it because of the actual age of the aircraft and the fact that they are no longer safe to fly on? No. It's because the aviation community is constantly trying to find more fuel efficient aircraft in order to increase their profit margins. When it does come to an aged fleet there are various other reasons why it might be decommissioned such as:
- cost of the maintenance being performed
- aircraft operating economics
- airframe versatility
- flexibility
Now add the requirement that the FAA wants operators to complete a survey after the aircraft reaches a certain amount of flight cycles and there is one less desirable reason to keep these assets in their fleet.
So why is this topic really important to everyone? Even though the average age of aircraft being retired is going down this is not sustainable. Eventually as the market for purchasing new aircraft declines the age of the aircraft is going to continue to increase. Aircraft operators are working with engineers to limit the reasons why the aircraft may be retired. Such as issues being engineered out reducing the number of maintenance visits that have to occur or extending the time between maintenance visits. Even with all this happening the aircraft is still being aged by various other factors that can not be ignored.
Definitions, Goals and Objectives
Definitions of all defined terms (terms that are capitalized) will be added to along the course of this blog under the blog labeled "Defined Terms". All terms will be in alphabetical order to ease in location of the term. If a defined term is not the definition that the author is using but a general definition (such as The Boeing Company) proper APA citation will be available below the term to link where the definition was taken from.
Goals and Objectives:
- To give a general definition of what aircraft aging is so that even those without aviation experience can understand
- Provide examples of different ways that aircraft are aged
- Provide examples of different ways to reduce aircraft aging effects
- Explain how the FAA is starting to "crack down" on aircraft aging
Note: Additional goals and objectives may be added at a later date as more research is performed. There may also be posts to this blog that do not pertain to the goals and objectives but provide useful information to the public about Aircraft Aging in general.
References
Compart, A. (2013, February 11). 2013 Could Be Telling For Aircraft Retirement Trend. Retrieved June 11, 2014, from Aviation Week Web site: http://aviationweek.com/awin/2013-could-be-telling-aircraft-retirement-trend
Pawlowski, A. (2010, February 1). How old is the plane you're flying on? Retrieved June 11, 2014, from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/02/01/planes.age.dreamliner/
