This happens because an aircraft's fuselage, or body, acts as a Faraday cage (a container that blocks electromagnetic fields). Energy and electric charge from the lightning bolt run around the outside of the vessel, protecting the interior from any voltage.

Airplanes don't exactly "escape" lightning; rather, they are engineered to conduct and dissipate it safely. Because aircraft often fly through clouds where lightning is generated, they are struck on average about once or twice a year. Modern planes act as a Faraday Cage; they are made of conductive materials like aluminum (or composite materials with embedded copper mesh) that allow the electrical current to flow across the exterior "skin" of the aircraft rather than through the cabin. The lightning typically enters at an extremity, like the nose or wingtip, and exits at another, like the tail. Pilots also use advanced onboard weather radar to detect areas of high electrical activity and will actively fly around the most intense "cells" of a storm to avoid turbulence and heavy hail. Additionally, small rods called static dischargers on the trailing edges of the wings help bleed off static electricity into the atmosphere. While passengers might hear a loud "bang" or see a flash, the internal electronics are shielded to prevent any interruption to the flight systems, making lightning strikes a routine and safe event in modern aviation.