Airlines Go ‘Paintless’ to Save Gas

Airplanes have “stripped off their clothes.”

Is it because of the warm climate? No, high oil prices have caused the change.

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways announced on May 19, “We are removing the paint from the bodies of our cargo planes in order to save fuel.”

The company removed all of the paint from the exteriors of its Boeing 747 cargo planes, excluding the cockpit areas, wings, tails, and company logos that distinguish the planes.

The planes have been able to trim down 200 kilograms as a result, and the company expects to save around 180 million won worth of cargo fuel each year by doing so.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com