Have you ever flown by a passenger airline aircraft to another city? Did you notice the color of the plane when you did? Was the plane white? The likelihood of the color being white is nearly 95%. Do you wonder why that is so?

The reason has to do with our sun. Yes, the solar radiation which warms our planet is the main reason why most commercial airlines tend to paint their air-crafts white. The white paint reflects back most of the solar radiation that it receives. This makes it easier to keep the plane cool when loading and unloading passengers and their luggage at the airport.

Considering how much energy is expended to keep the inside temperature of the air-craft in a hospitable range, the airlines are willing to take any advantage that they can get. The white color also helps reflect off ultraviolet radiation when the aircraft is at a high altitude during a flight.

The ultra violet rays can be very damaging to aircraft parts made out of composite materials as per scientific observation. Thus the white paint is not just to make the aircraft look good, but also to protect it from radiation which could cause the passengers traveling on the plane an issue.