Apparatus and methods for assisting with maintenance and design of one or more structural elements of an aircraft are disclosed. One exemplary method comprises receiving actual utilization data for the aircraft and evaluating the actual utilization data with respect to at least one of a plurality of utilization criteria respectively associated with a plurality of utilization categories for the aircraft where the utilization categories are associated with respective predetermined maintenance programs for the structural element or for the aircraft as a whole. Based on the evaluation of the actual utilization data with respect to the at least one utilization criterion, one of the utilization categories is assigned to the aircraft. Based on the utilization category assigned to the aircraft, one of the predetermined maintenance programs is assigned to the structural element or to the aircraft as a whole.