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Why are most planes white?

You may have noticed that most of the world's planes flying are mostly white. Apart from a splash of colour on the tail, the majority of airliners are nearly always the same. But why?

Experts say that there are several reason for this - and most of them are pretty practical in nature. The white body of airliners helps protect the aircraft from temperature variations and solar damage at high altitudes.

Its reflective properties also makes it easy for planes to be spotted from the air, in the event of a forced landing.

Aviation analysts also note, that there's a cost implication too. White planes have a higher resale value when sold on to other airlines, as they don't require extensive paint jobs.

That doesn't mean that colourful planes are dangerous, but rather, just more expensive to maintain over a longer period of time.