Life of a Jetliner

A well-maintained Jetliner can last 30 or 40 years. What happens over the course of those decades?

Shiny and New (0-5 years)
Fresh off the assembly line, this plane has the latest technology. Today, this includes at-seat electrical power, in-flight WiFi, LED lighting, swivel bins, fancy seats. All the gadgets still work. The little touches combine to make an atmosphere: when you walk through the entrance, you look up and smile. This flight will be a little less dreary. Virgin America’s planes still have this shine on them.

Settling In (5-10 years)
Everything works. It... works. Your seat works. The in-flight-entertainment works, but it’s showing its age. The screen’s too small, the graphics too blocky. You’re happy to fly this plane, because it could be worse. Think JetBlue.

Journeyman (10-20 years)
No one claims this is still a new plane. But it’s cheaper to keep flying than to replace. The plane isn’t too old to learn new tricks: new seats inside so the airline can sell more tickets, winglets on the outside to improve efficiency, perhaps a new paint job to match the latest fashion. These overhauls fit well during a “D” maintenance check: every 5 years check the plane by taking it all the way apart and putting it back together.

Second career (20 years)
It may happen after 10 years, or after 30. But there comes a point that the first owner of a plane is done with it. In our next post, we’ll see what becomes of second-hand planes.