Do You Know Why Airplanes Are White In Colour?

Have you noticed that the vast majority of airplanes are white?

Sure, some have stripes, decorations, and airline branding in different colours, but the base colour is almost always white.

We at AirWhizz, did some digging and found logical explanations as to why white is almost always the colour of choice for airplanes.

1.IT KEEPS YOU COOL

White is a very good reflector of sunlight. Darker colours absorb most of the light and heat of the sun. But white ensures that the heat bounces away from the airplane, reducing the temperature inside the cabin.

This is a good thing, not only when the airplane is in the air, but also when it lands, because it takes less time to cool down. Parked aircrafts also remain cooler after sitting on the ground in a hot, sunny environment.

2.EASIER TO INSPECT A WHITE AIRPLANE

Airplanes are checked for cracks, dents and any other form of surface damage for safety reasons on a regular basis.

Nothing works better than white when it comes to spotting cracks, corrosion marks and oil leak stains on the surface as these are easily visible and leave a dark coloured trail.

3.INCREASES VISIBILITY

One good reason for an aircraft being painted in white is increased visibility.

In the event of an airplane crash or any other mishap, the white colour makes it easy to spot, both, on water and land. It is also easy to spot a white airplane in the dark.

4.HELPS THE AIRPLANE AVOID BIRD STRIKES

Birds cause airplane damage worth approximately 600 million dollars each year.

Aircraft visibility can be enhanced by white or brightly-coloured exteriors reducing the chances of mid-air bird strikes.

A study was conducted, by the science journal –  ‘Human-Wildlife Interactions’ in 2011, on the correlation between bird strike rates among different airlines and aircraft colour schemes. It showed that darker coloured aircrafts reduce the ability of birds to detect and avoid the aircraft in sufficient time.

5.PAINTING IT IS EXPENSIVE

Painting an airplane is not like painting a fence! It requires a considerable investment in terms of money, manpower, and time.

The cost of painting a regular Boeing aircraft in colour falls between $50k-$200k and takes anywhere between two and seven days, depending on the budget.

With intense competition amongst airlines, it is a wise choice for carriers to cut down on coloured planes to avoid increased costs and loss in revenue.

6.EASIER TO LEASE AND RESELL

White paint helps if the aircraft has to be sold in a hurry.

Also, majority of the airlines don’t own their aircraft. They take it on lease from airplane leasing companies such as Airbus Asset Management and Aircastle Investment.

So, buying or leasing a coloured airplane would mean that the airline would likely have to paint it white again, adding to the cost.

Hence, it makes perfect sense that the airline would pay a lower price for a fancy, coloured airplane and more for a plain white aircraft.

7.WHITE DOESN’T FADE

White colour doesn’t fade away like other colours do. Moreover, maintaining and cleaning is pretty easy.

Usually, coloured paints fade away owing to exposure to sun, particularly at 30,000 feet where there is more UV radiation and thus require a lot of paint jobs to maintain their appeal.

A white airplane, on the other hand, doesn’t appear significantly different, even after spending a considerable amount of time in the air.

8.LESS WEIGHT

Did you know that if a Boeing aircraft painted in different colours, it would add 250kgs of weight to the aircraft?  But a white paint job would not add more than 25kgs!

The more weight you add to an aircraft the higher its fuel consumption. By painting the airplanes white, American Airlines saves over $2 million per year on fuel costs.

So the next time you fly take a moment to admire the fact that even the most insignificant details about an aircraft have a lot of thought and science behind them. Nothing in the aviation industry is done without a good reason. And most importantly, every one of these factors goes toward making flying the most comfortable and safest form of travel!