Having your seats in an upright position, the window shades open, your seat belts fastened, and the tray tables stowed are some of the rules on airplanes before takeoff and landing.
While not all passengers know the reason behind these instructions, flight attendant @kiravokrugmira, in a video shared on the Instagram account @backpacking, explained that it is for air safety.
The flight attendant pointed out that this measure allows the crew to quickly assess the conditions outside in the event of an emergency. ‘Why does the cabin crew ask you to raise the window shades during take-off and landing? For safety reasons. It allows us to assess the external conditions as quickly as possible if an emergency situation occurs,’ she explained.
This procedure not only facilitates visibility for the crew, but can also be useful for passengers themselves. In the event that a visible anomaly is detected, such as smoke on the wing or fire in the engine, reaction time could make all the difference.
For this reason, experts suggest that those who wish to sleep during these phases of the flight should use an eye mask instead of lowering the window shade.
A similar explanation was given by “ABC”, which pointed out that the rule seeks to facilitate visibility from both inside and outside the aircraft. In a critical situation, rescue teams need to be able to observe the interior of the aircraft to assess the situation and act efficiently.
In addition to this instruction, the crew reminds passengers of other preventive measures such as fastening their seat belts, placing the seat back in an upright position, stowing tray tables and lowering armrests.
All these recommendations, which may be annoying for some passengers, are given ‘because we care about your safety’, according to the flight attendant.
The importance of these aviation regulations
According to ABC, although many of these instructions are already familiar to frequent flyers, they should not be underestimated. Take-off and landing are the most critical phases of flight, and any measure that can facilitate response to an emergency is considered essential.
For example, having the tray tables stowed and the armrests in the correct position can reduce the risk of injury in the event of an impact.
The clear location of emergency exits, the correct use of seat belts and knowing how to access life jackets and oxygen masks are also part of the set of instructions aimed at preserving the safety of the aircraft’s occupants.
