The purpose of this report was to examine the relationship
between ageing aircraft and flight safety, to determine the
chronological age of the Australian aircraft fleet, and to review
current and future directions for the management of ageing
aircraft.
Age can be managed by retiring the aircraft and purchasing a
newer aircraft or through adequately maintaining ageing aircraft
through additional and specific maintenance. This requires
cooperation between regulators, manufactures, maintainers,
operators, and owners. Continuing airworthiness programmes and
Supplementary Inspection Programmes are methods of ensuring
adequate maintenance. Ageing of an aircraft can be a safety issue,
but with adequate maintenance, the consequences of ageing can be
mitigated. Current and future maintenance programmes will act as a
preventative measure to reduce the safety risk associated with
ageing aircraft, but only if the operators adhere to the
programmes.
In Australia, the average age of fleet of turbofan aircraft is
low, and has been is decreasing. Multi-engine turbofan aircraft
with a maximum take-off weight between 50,001 and 100,000 kg had
the lowest average age in 2005 at just 6 years. This was the only
aircraft category whose average age decreased over the period 1995
to 2005. The turbofan aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of
more than 100,000 kg had an average age of 11 years in 2005. The
high-capacity turbofan aircraft receive extensive continuing
airworthiness support from the manufacturers. The low age and
extensive continuing airworthiness support provide a double defence
to ensure the safety of the Australian multi-engine turbofan
aircraft fleet.
The piston engine fixed-wing aircraft fleet, by contrast, had
the highest average age at 30 years. These aircraft often do not
receive the same level of continuing airworthiness support from the
manufacturer as the turbofan aircraft. In Australia, multi-engine
piston aircraft are often used in regular public transport and
charter operations, and therefore the high average age needs to be
considered in relation to their safe operation in passenger
services.