The impact of mandated aging airplane programs on jet transport airplane scheduled structural inspection programs

Economic and market conditions have resulted in the use of commercial jet transport airplanes well beyond their design service objective (DSO). Air transport industry consensus is that older jet transport airplanes will continue to be in service despite an anticipated substantial increase in the required maintenance. Based on economical considerations, established operators may replace their airplanes beyond DSO with new ones. At the same time these older airplanes are sold to operators with little or no knowledge and experience of the aging airplane maintenance programs. Discusses the damage tolerance concept, its relation to airplane age and its evolution that is fail-safe to damage tolerance based maintenance certification for jet transport airplanes. Also, this paper will discuss a process for upgrading structural inspection programs for older airplanes to damage tolerance standard per MSG-3 Rev. 2 analysis. Finally, sub-surface corrosion on principal airplane structures and its effect on airplane safety will be discussed.