What makes an airline retire a plane, and how old are they when retire them?

Question

i heard two things...im kinda hoping they are myths, i dunno.

1. they really still fly planes that go as far back as the 70s

2. they really do still fly planes that were in accidents...after fixing them....

Answer 1

1- true, there are planes that date back all the way to the 50s

2- true, but only if the plane was in a minor accident, like while its parking it hits something.

Theres really no reason to worry.

personally i think the best airlines are :

1-AirFrance

2-Delta

3-Frontier

Answer 2

Ok... 1. Yes the do still fly planes from the 70s.

2. Planes that were in accidents.. They may but it depends on the accident.. A little bump or something on the runway is not a big deal but would be considered "accidents" so they may still fly that.. A plane that crashed from the sky, likely not. Thats a pretty big investment to just throw away.

They don't have an "age" persay, that they retire planes. Its usually based on number of flights flown, total distance flown or sometimes a combination of that, distance flown, and weight carried. So say a plane is rated for 9500 flights., They may still be flying it if its only at 7000 flights. If one reaches its limit, they may check it out, repair it, and make upgrades, then re-rate it for distance of flights. There are not that many planes in the world and they are so well build and bult to last. Larger planes, like 747s (not sure if that is an exact model example, but something like it) may have been made in the 60s, but since they are built to last, checked often and have not reached their quota, they can still fly.

I have heard of planes flying from the 60s, though never from the 50s. So yes, it is likely planes from the 70s are still flying.

Example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747 some of these are still flying today. Many of the originals.

Answer 3

It's not the age that dictates whether an aircraft is retired. It's based more on economics and "cycles" (departures and landings). A newer aircraft that has many cycles will have more wear and tear on it than an older aircraft that has fewer cycles. Aircraft manufacturers certify their aircraft for a maximum number of cycles, not a maximum age.

Aircraft are retired when they have enough cycles that it is no longer economically feasible to keep repairing them and flying them. They are also retired if they use too much fuel and it is cheaper to replace them with newer, more economical aircraft.

Most airline fleets have an average age of under twenty years. However, there are a few exceptions. Northwest still flies DC-9's from the 1960's.

Yes, damaged aircraft can be repaired and safely flown if the damage is not too severe. It's no different that your car. Would you junk a perfectly good car because of a dent in the fender? Of course not. You would have the fender replaced. Airlines do the same thing. On the other hand, you would junk it if the car would no longer be safe to drive or if it costs more to fix than the car is worth. Airlines do the same thing.

Answer 4

Airlines retire planes when they decide it no longer makes economic sense for them to fly them. There are a lot of things that can lead to that decision, including age (and related maintenance costs,) fuel consumption, capacity (if an airline can't fill big planes they'll fly smaller ones and if they have more demand they'll consider bigger ones,) and image (the DC-10 went out of favor after a few crashes that weren't the planes' fault, and several airlines - including TWA - stopped flying 747s after TWA 800.)

There ARE planes flying which were built in the 70s, and lots more which are aircraft types introduced in the 70s but built more recently. But most accidents involving planes are the end for that (those) plane(s.)

Answer 5

As other people hit on, retirement of a plane is strictly an economic decision. If a plane is still reliable and makes money, a company will continue to fly it. There are a host of regulations companies must follow regarding maintenance so an older plane is no more or less safe than a newer one.

Some companies follow their own path. Ryanair, for example, buys new planes and flies them until the first major service is due (about 7 years). Since this service costs more than a million dollars, they opt to sell the plan rather than pay the maintenance.

With the explosion in fuel costs, very many older planes will be retired. Older planes may still be quite reliable but they cannot compete with newer models when it comes to fuel efficiency. A 777 can fly farther, faster, and carry more with less fuel than a 747. That's why Boeing is sold out of 777s until 2014.

Answer 6

It varies with the airline.  Singapore is constantly switching out their "older" aircraft.  Their older aircraft are around 10 years of age at most.

Northwest still flies the DC-9 which dates back to the 1960s or 1970s.  As long as the airline properly maintains the aircraft, they can still fly.

As far as repairing aircraft after an accident, it depends on how badly the airplane is damaged.  United Airlines had a cargo door blow open while flying in Hawaii.  The airplane landed safely but a huge chunk of the airplane was missing.  After repairs, the airplane went back into service.  Pan Am had a 747 make a real hard landing once in San Francisco.  An engine was damaged and landing gears were torn.  There was also damage done to the fuselage.  However they fixed the plane and it went back into service.  It is just like a car.  The insurance company will assess it after the accident and determine if the repairs will exceed the value.  If so, it is a write-off.