In the wake of several incidents where holes opened on the fuselage of passenger jets, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that it will set a "retirement age" for jets to address fatigue issues.

Once regulators and plane makers agree on a maximum age for a plane type, airlines may choose to retire older planes instead of undergoing what is expected to be much more rigorous and costly maintenance schedules. The new rules will be phased in over several years, making the impact on carriers difficult to predict.

"We've addressed the problem of aging aircraft with numerous targeted regulations and 100 airworthiness directives over the years," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a release Friday. "This rule is a comprehensive solution to ensure the structural safety of today's airliners and the airplanes of tomorrow."
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