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Like so many other airplane procedures, the darkening of the cabin lights during take -off and landing is made mainly for safety reasons, which the pilot and the flight attendant outline below.
If you think you have a lot to exclude your tasks list before the change, just imagine how many items are in the pilot check lists. Yes, this is the plural. According to Air Canada, even before the aircraft is in the air, the pilots have three control lists to cover: “Before Start”, “After Start” and “Before Departure.” While passengers are not secrets of most elements in the lists, we notice some of them. For example, have you ever wondered why the cabin lights were darkened during take -off and landing, regardless of the time of day? I have. To be honest, it often annoys me, especially if I’m in the middle of reading a book or a flight magazine. Well, we asked a few experts and here’s what they had to say about leaving passengers in the dark. Spoiler signal: It’s not just about saving electricity.
According to Agnes Chantr, the chief pilot of Air Tahiti Nui, the eclipse of the cabin lights is important because it allows the eyes of the passengers to adapt to the dark. “When you want to see the stars at night, your eyes need time to adapt after you’re inside with a bright, clear light,” Chantre explains to Travel + free timeS “This procedure is to reduce time.” Of course, my next question is why should our eyes be able to adapt quickly during flight? The answer to this question is the readiness for an emergency evacuation, especially in the event of a loss of power.
Paula S. Adams, a flight attendant who worked for Etihad Airways, before going to a private one, tells T+L that the darkening of cabin lights is being done first for passenger safety, not for passenger comfort. “Going and landing are the most critical phases of the flight, where the bigger part of the incidents occur,” Adams says. “If an emergency occurs (crash, interrupted take -off, evacuation), passengers and crew should be able to see outside and adjust quickly.” In fact, according to the latest data reported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – which represents 350 airlines worldwide – more than half (53 percent) aircraft accidents occur during landing. After landing, the most dangerous times, statistically speaking, are take -off, approach and initial climb. A cruise, when the aircraft is in the middle of the air, represents only 4.6 percent of the origin.
However, despite the recent Air India Flight 171 crash, airplane crashes are quite rare. Based on statistics, IATA says you will have to fly 365 days a year for more than 100,000 years before you find yourself in a fatal disaster. Meanwhile, data analyzed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology show that approximately one in every 13.7 million passengers are at risk of accident (and this includes non -factual incidents). However, airlines are too cautious.
Adams says that the darkened cabin lights during take -off and landing also reduce the internal glare on the windows. “This facilitates the crew and passengers to notice the dangers outside such as fire, smoke, debris, etc.” And when the lights are darkened, it is easier to see visual signals inside the aircraft, including the emergency floor markers on the floor, which are illuminated by photoluminess tapes. Finally, the darkening of the cabin lights during take -off and landing helps to maintain power, although it is a minimal amount. “Some types of planes, especially older, or in certain situations such as low power or backup mode, reduce the insignificant loads during take-off and landing helps to prioritize systems that are crucial to flight safety,” Adams explains.
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