How does storing fuel in the wings help during long-haul flights?

Most aircraft store their fuel in the wings, a method known as using integral fuel tanks. These are sections of the aircraft structure that are sealed to allow for fuel storage.

A common example is the “wet wing,” which is typically found in larger aircraft. Since these tanks are part of the aircraft’s structure, they cannot be removed for service or inspection.

Instead, inspection panels are provided for internal inspection, repair, and servicing of the tank. Large transport aircraft often use this system to store fuel in the wings, fuselage, and empennage.a321 fuel burn per hour

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On some long-haul flights, fuel can make up to one-third of the aircraft’s total weight. Storing this heavy weight in the main body of the aircraft would leave insufficient room for luggage and negatively impact the aircraft’s structure. Therefore, fuel is stored in the wings.

By storing fuel in the rear of the plane could cause the front part to lift during flight due to the excess weight. As fuel is consumed, most fuel efficient commercial aircraft the front part would lean forward during landing.

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To avoid this issue, fuel is stored in the wings, which reduces pressure on them during flight and evenly distributes the load across the entire airframe.