My opinion (as a non-owner) is the Air is probably more drop friendly than it's larger cousins just due to it's weight, but is less resistant to bending due to how thin it is. However, barring any major accidents, due to the SSD, light weight, and aluminum frame I think the MBA is a very durable machine. As soon as Apple can get rid of fans entirely from the design it will be one of the longest lasting machines since it will have no moving parts other than the keyboard, hinge and trackpad button.