Cabin crew explain why window blinds must be up during landing

Published 2 hours ago
Source: metro.co.uk
Air travel is jam packed full of tiny little rules, many of which can feel quite petty when you stop to think about them. Tray tables up. Phones on flight mode. Seat backs straight. Then there’s the one that always sparks a quiet and resigned sigh from the window seats. Cabin crew insisting that the blind stays open for take-off and landing. It feels a wee bit intrusive. You’re tired. You want to shut out the world. But this particular request isn’t about control or tradition as some people might assume. It’s actually one of the most basic safety habits on board. And it exists for reasons that only matter if things go a little bit wrong… (Picture: Getty Images)
Before a plane even leaves the gate, crew members are already running through a tight checklist of safety protocols. Seats upright. Armrests down. Bags stowed. Things like that. These moments matter because take-off and landing are statistically the riskiest parts of a flight. Every instruction has been designed to shave seconds off reaction time if an emergency hits. Window shades are part of that system. They’re not optional decoration. They’re a way to make sure the cabin is ready to respond instantly if something outside the aircraft demands attention. (Picture: Getty Images)
This is what prompted one curious traveller to finally ask the question out loud. Over on Reddit, they posed: ‘Why do you have to have the windows up for landing sometimes? This is something I’ve always wondered and I had no clue who to ask!’ It turns out that plenty of other people have wondered the same thing too. The answer is less mysterious than it might’ve been, however. It’s not about courtesy or airline policy. It’s about visibility. In an emergency, what you can see may decide which exits are usable. (Picture: Getty Images)
If something goes wrong during take-off or landing, passengers and crew need immediate awareness of what is happening outside. A fire, smoke, debris, an engine problem… If the blinds are down, nobody can tell which side of the aircraft is safe to evacuate from, or what’s really going on. Keeping them open allows people sitting by the windows to spot danger and flag it instantly. That information feeds straight to the crew who are making fast decisions under pressure. Seconds matter. Guesswork is dangerous. Clear sightlines reduce both. (Picture: Getty Images)
One flight attendant explained it all in rather plain (pun entirely intended) terms. saying: ‘In case something goes wrong, a passenger can see it and alert the flight crew. It also has to do with safety. If you crash upon take-off inside a dark plane, the light could be blinding upon evacuating.’ So it’s really just a matter of logic and practicality. Eyes that are already adjusted to daylight or darkness can react faster. That can mean moving cleanly rather than freezing at the worst possible moment. (Picture: Getty Images)
Lighting plays a bigger role than most passengers realise. During daytime take-offs, open blinds help your eyes adapt to bright conditions outside. At night, the logic flips. Cabin lights are dimmed while blinds stay up so your eyes adjust to darkness instead. This balance helps passengers see clearly if they need to exit quickly. It also helps emergency services. Fire crews and rescue teams can look into the cabin and assess conditions without delay if something has gone seriously wrong. (Picture: Getty Images)
So next time a flight attendant asks you to lift the shade, remember – it’s not about spoiling your view or enforcing etiquette. It is about readiness. The open window turns every passenger into an extra set of eyes. It helps crews choose the safest exits. It reduces disorientation. It gives emergency responders vital visibility. You may never (hopefully) need that advantage. Most flights land quietly and without incident. But aviation safety is built around the rare moments when normal rules stop applying. That is when the blind being closed may very well matter… (Picture: Getty Images)

Categories

LifestyleTravelTravel Advice
Read Original Article

Related Articles from metro.co.uk