Do you know why most airliners are painted white?

When you think of different airlines, most of them have their commercial aircraft painted white. It is neither a coincidence nor a simple aesthetic question. However, the topic is very well thought out and has several reasons that justify the decision.

white painted airliners

White painted airliners Why?

The reasons are many and each of them is justified by analysis.

  • The white color repels the sun and allows the ship to stay cooler.
  • Cheaper aircraft maintenance.
  • Reduces accidents with birds.
  • Technical reviews are easier to perform.

There are also exceptions. There are commercial companies who prefer to paint them a different color to stand out from the rest or for promotional purposes. Like Wow Air, whose planes are purple, or an Air New Zealand Boeing 777 that is completely black.

brightly painted airplane

The external cooling of the aircraft

A light aircraft reduces fuel consumption and consequently lowers operating costs. Remember that the manufacture of aircraft uses composite materials that must be protected from the sun. This is the case with carbon fiber or fiberglass. The white color not only helps lower the outside temperature, it also minimizes the damage caused by ultraviolet radiation.

If the paint helps keep the outside temperature down, the inside of the aircraft is preferred. Both the cabin and passenger sectors require less cooling, which also helps to reduce costs.

Reduced aircraft maintenance

The color of an aircraft increases the total weight of the ship by more than 280 kilos. This leads to an increase in fuel consumption. Because of this, some companies decide to leave the aircraft’s fuselage unpainted. You just add the logo and brands that characterize this airline. In this way, however, the aircraft is completely unprotected. In this way its wear is greater and loses its polish. Which causes higher costs in the long run.

white painted airliners

Choosing the color white has its advantages in relation to this issue. The ship is covered and protected. In addition, the pigments do not rust or fade in the paint as they do with bright paints. In other words, the number of times the aircraft needs repainting is decreasing.

Decrease in accidents caused by birds

A study conducted a few years ago by researchers from Human WildLife magazine reported on this topic. The conclusion was that brightly painted airplanes are most involved in bird accidents.

Darker or more intense colors reduce the birds’ ability to see the aircraft. They are confused with the environment and so they hit the plane.

The white color makes it easy to maintain

With this color, the maintenance of the hull is easier. Cracks are more visible and also make repairs easier. In addition, a crack is always darker than the color of the white painted hull. When a disaster strikes, parts of an airplane painted white are easier to find by doing a search.

Whether you’re traveling on a white plane or a brightly colored plane, you shouldn’t be nervous. This does not mean that it is riskier to travel on an airplane that is painted in intense colors. This fact only creates higher costs for the airline to which it belongs.

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