Airplanes are painted white for many reasons related to comfort, efficiency and safety – Photo: FINAVIA
On social networks, there are rumors that white paint is less expensive, helping airlines save costs.
However, according to the investigation of the scientific site IFLScience, Cost savings is just one reason. In fact, there are more technical factors when it comes to whitewashing an aircraft.
In the early days of aviation, passenger planes remained metallic. Their chrome-plated chassis and chassis are almost iconic, and some of these metal planes still fly today.
However, an aircraft will experience a range of different weather phenomena and metals tend to corrode. So painting (any color) is a way to protect the plane’s skin for longer. Painting an entire plane can be expensive, but it’s cheaper in the long run to maintain the plane.
In addition to the problem of corrosion, a chrome plated surface still needs to be polished. And with paint, managers can skip this routine polishing.
White paint is also important for heat. Above the cloud line, during the day, the aircraft is exposed to direct sunlight for many hours. And usually, they also park in the airport under the sun and the ground is also heated. White paint will help absorb less heat and keep the inside of the plane cool.
Exposure to sunlight, as well as interaction with the elements, also affects paint color differently. Colored paint tends to fade over time, which is not a big deal for white paint. Again, it’s cheaper to paint the plane white.
There is an unusual reason behind the choice of white: it is to reduce the risk of birds hitting the plane, an incident that can kill birds and endanger those on board.
A study of human-wildlife interactions suggests that brighter (white) fuselages, in either sunny or partially cloudy skies, will have higher contrast.
Aircraft paint, on the other hand, is a special type of paint. White paint is lighter than other colors. Planes are very large and white paint can reduce their weight by a few hundred kilograms more than colored paint, which is roughly equivalent to 8 people.
This means that each flight adds up to 8 passengers’ fare. Adding 8 passengers/trip is a small thing, but it is also an economic problem for airline managers and businesses.