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According to http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero... "net operating cost of polished airplanes is slightly more than that of painted airplanes"

An AA 777 has 50lbs of paint vs a fully painted 777 that has 475lbs of paint.

I remember reading AA feels that polishing a plane requires less labor and time than painting, then many years later, stripping and repainting.

There's a lot of good info on that site but here's a quoted summary.

"Though the weight of paint adds to fuel consumption, the fuel-cost savings offered by polished surfaces is outweighed by the cost of maintaining the polished surfaces. However, because this difference is a very small percentage of operating cost, many operators decide to paint or polish their airplanes based on marketing and environmental impact considerations. Some believe that a distinctive image can best be achieved with a full paint scheme, while others believe the image can be projected best by mostly polished surfaces. The availability of safe solvents and facilities that comply with environmental laws can also play a role in the choice between painting and polishing."

I have noticed some airlines have painted passenger planes and polished freighters like JAL, NWA, Cathay.

It looks good during the day but at night, when you shine your flashlight at it, the light just bounces off the mirror like skin. You just can't see anything.