Why are most airplanes painted white

You likely would have noticed most airplanes are painted white. This is no coincidence, because most of them are painted for some reasons. However there is no exception to the rule...

• Temperature Control

  White is a color that reflects sunlight, which has the the result of keeping the aircraft cool. This benefit comes into its own at high speed , where friction from the air can heat the skin of an aircraft to extreme temperatures. This reflective property helps in maintaining a comfortable cabin temperature for passengers and protects sensitive equipment from overheating , which enhances safety and efficiency.

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• Reduces bird strikes

  A bird stike is a coliision between a bird and an airplane which is in flight or that is taking off , landing. Bird strikes can be seen as a significant threat to aircraft safety. White paint enhances airplane visibility and increases the detection and avoidance of birds.

• White is more economical

  Paints used for aircraft is more expensive than the ones found in the supermarkets for interior decoration.

  The surface area to be painted on the airplane is very large, a minimum of 240 liters of paint are required to paint a Boeing 737, and that goes up to 3,600 liters for an Airbus A380.

  
  

  White is the most common color and also the cheapest on the market. It is therefore the preferred color for many airlines for their planes. White is aslo the thinner paint and therefore the least heavy. And a light aircraft consumes less fuel.