The Practicalities of Ensuring the Continued Structural Integrity of Aging Aircraft in an Airline Environment

This paper illustrates practical concerns of an airline attempting to accommodate the aging airplane implications whilst still remaining a viable economic concern. The abundant intrinsic problems associated with aging aircraft necessitate a willingness to diversify standard practices and inspection techniques in order for any airline to be able to rest comfortably with the ongoing structural integrity of its fleet. To maintain a competitive edge amidst the aging airplane scene requires continual skills training of staff of a variety of disciplines combined with a good rapport with relevant aircraft manufacturers. The maze of aging aircraft is complex but can be simplified considerably with a degree of commonsense and mutual cooperation of all parties involved.