Raising window blinds during takeoff and landing on an airplane may seem like just a routine, somewhat cumbersome procedure.
Meanwhile, as it turns out, there is an important safety reason behind this custom.
Imagine that it is a beautiful, cloudless day, you are sitting comfortably on a plane and waiting for take-off. The only thing that bothers you is the sun rays hitting your eyes.
However, you cannot close the window blinds because the cabin crew carefully checks whether each window is open just before takeoff and landing. Why?
Uncovered windows on the plane is about safety
According to a pilot, Patrick Smith of AskThePilot, raising window shades during takeoff and landing makes it easier for the flight crew to assess potential external threats, such as fire or debris. These factors can make evacuation difficult in an emergency situation.
Sue Fogwell, a former United Airlines flight attendant, emphasises that passengers sitting in an emergency exit row must first look out the window before opening the exit in an emergency. This allows the crew to determine which side of the plane is safer in the event of an evacuation, which is crucial given that the evacuation must take place within a maximum of 90 seconds.
Open window blinds also help passengers stay oriented in the event of a sudden event, such as an aircraft crashing or overturning. If something like this were to happen during takeoff or landing, passengers’ eyes will already be adapted to the outside light, allowing them to react faster, according to the BAA Training aviation blog.
It is necessary to open the blinds during take-off and landing
Such practices are particularly important during takeoff and landing, because this is when accidents most often occur, according to the Airbus report. This is due to the fact that these are theoretically the most complicated phases of the flight, which require the crew to navigate or change the machine configuration.
Raising the window blinds also allows external emergency crews to see what is happening inside the aircraft in the event of an emergency.
Despite the importance of applying this rule, only airlines are responsible for enforcing it. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not have any specific rules regarding window shades on airplanes.
