There’s quite a bit that goes into the decision to use commercial airlines. There’s picking the option that fits your budget, finding available seats, and much more. However, many people don’t consider the passenger planes they fly on. This is especially the case for how old the airplanes may be and how long they’ll be in service. Of course, it’s natural for plane passengers who travel by air to not consider this as commercial aviation is one of the safest modes of transportation. 

How long are passenger planes in service?

Naturally, airplanes aren’t like cars. Sure, some of the best vehicles can last hundreds of thousands of miles. However, this is nothing compared to how long commercial aircraft can safely carry plane passengers. As with anything, these transportation options have a range of life spans. According to Aviation File, they last between 20 and 30 years with the proper maintenance. 

So, how many flights do these passenger planes usually take before being decommissioned? This depends on a few things. According to reporting, the Boeing 737 series can make it about 90,000 flight cycles, which translates to about 55,000 flight hours. Airbus is a little different. Its A320 series lasts around 60,000 flight hours or 24,000 flight cycles. 

Of course, airlines sometimes decommission their passenger planes before they reach these milestones. This could be for a few reasons, including issues with the aircraft or industry trends. Airlines spend quite a bit on these planes, so the decision to stop using them early is never taken lightly. 

Airlines spend a ton of money on maintenance

As mentioned, traveling on passenger planes is much safer than driving. This is the case for a few reasons, but it’s especially true because these planes receive regular maintenance attention. This includes basic checks after a certain number of flight hours as well as annual inspections. Regarding the basic checks, 100 flight hours seems to be the magic number, but this is in addition to walkarounds before each flight. 

Naturally, airlines spend a pretty penny when it comes to keeping passenger plans up and running. For example, reports say that Delta spent about $1.98 billion in 2022 on maintenance. Both American Airlines and United are said to have spent over $2 billion each that year. 

Readers should also note that these passenger planes undergo a process referred to as “heavy maintenance” every couple of years or so. During this time, the airline takes the aircraft out of service for a thorough check-up, and it receives any major repairs it may need. This process can take one to four weeks to complete. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean there aren’t sometimes unforeseen issues with commercial airplanes. Still, the airlines do their parts to ensure optimal safety for plane passengers.