Why are airlines not required by law to update their planes more often and use newer models? Many commercial planes being used today are older than most people on this website.

Question

Is there no safety issue there?

In: Other

Answer 1

If you were to think of an airplane like a passenger car, it’s not like the old volvo your neighbor down the street drives, leaking oil and blowing smoke out the pipe. Safety is an important factor for air travel. It would be more like the guy down the street with the motorcycle who tears down his engine every however many miles, checks his tire pressures, rebuilds the carburetors, etc to keep it in perfect running order. Even if the airplane was originally built years ago, it is routinely inspected and any worn or damaged parts are replaced to ensure safety.