It’s a plane color. If you’ve ever wondered why airplanes are painted white, there are five key reasons — and not one of them has to do with blending in with clouds. First, white paint reflects sunlight, keeping the plane interior cooler on boiling hot days when the aircraft is roasting on the tarmac, according to the auto media outlet MotorBiscuit .
Then, there’s the issue of weight — and the light-hued varnish weighs less than dark-colored paint. Private charter jet company Menkor Aviation told MotorBiscuit that Boeing 737 aircrafts require 240 liters, of paint, while an Airbus A380 needs 3,600 liters, or more than 951 gallons. The more light weight the paint, the better the plane’s fuel efficiency in the air, equalling a lower price tag for operating the vehicles.
The outlet also reported that white paint shows wears and tears more than any other color. Cracks or corrosion are much easier to spot on lighter varnish, which allows maintenance to notice and fix the issue more quickly. Not to mention, lighter paint won’t fade as quickly as other hues would when directly exposed to harsh UV rays thousands of miles in the air at cruising altitude.
Slower fading negates the need for constant retouches on the plane’s exterior. Lastly, birds are able to spot planes much easier in the sky when they’re painted white. While it seems counterintuitive, the stark contrast between the blue sky and the white aircraft makes the plane more visible to birds, which pose a saf.
