Aircraft are designed to be able to withstand lightning strikes and every airliner gets struck, on average, six times a year, Brady says. The fuselage acts like a Faraday cage, transmitting the lightning safely around the aircraft rather than through it, and generally, no damage is done.

Modern aircraft are engineered to be "lightning-proof," and pilots are trained to manage strikes with a calm, standardized procedure. When a plane is hit by lightning—which happens on average once or twice a year for every commercial jet—the electrical charge typically travels along the outer skin of the fuselage (which acts as a Faraday Cage) and exits through the wingtips or tail, leaving the interior and passengers unharmed. In 2026, pilots use advanced weather radar to detect the moisture and turbulence associated with lightning-producing cells, allowing them to deviate around the core of a storm by at least 20 miles. If a strike does occur, the pilots will perform a "Post-Strike Checklist" to verify that all flight instruments, navigation systems, and communications are functioning correctly. While a strike might cause a loud "bang" and a bright flash, it rarely causes structural damage. Once the plane lands, maintenance crews perform a specialized lightning strike inspection to check for small "burn marks" or "pitting" on the aircraft's exterior, ensuring that the integrity of the aluminum or composite skin remains intact before the next flight.