Painting a commercial airplane costs over $175,000 — here’s a look into the $18 billion aircraft paint industry

The average cost to paint a commercial airliner falls between $175,000 to $200,000, according to Dean Baldwin Painting, a 57-year-old aircraft painting company based in Macon, Ga. It services some of the world’s biggest airlines, such as United, Delta and JetBlue. The painting process involves over 90 gallons of paint and multiple engineers and painters. The global commercial aviation aircraft paint market was estimated at $18.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to $65 billion by 2027.