Opening window blinds on planes is mandatory for several reasons, including safety.
Taking a plane means complying with a large number of rules, communicated by the staff of the giants of the sky. Among them, the seemingly innocuous gesture of opening the window blinds is of crucial importance, not only for the comfort of passengers, but also (and above all) for the general safety of the flight. One of the primary reasons why you are required to open the window blinds during takeoff and landing of the aircraft is the need to ensure optimal visibility of external conditions.
In the event of an emergency, it is imperative to have maximum clarity in the device to properly assess the danger. Crew members can better spot possible obstacles, assess weather conditions and react more precisely and efficiently. An essential role during an engine failure, blocking of the landing gear, smoke, breakage, etc.
These technical problems can also be spotted by attentive passengers, who will alert the crew to unusual situations or warning signs of problems. Furthermore, by opening the blinds, passengers can quickly locate the nearest emergency exits. In an emergency situation, this crucial information can save valuable time, facilitating rapid and orderly evacuation of the aircraft.
Opening the window blinds on planes is also a question of passenger comfort: seeing the outside helps in particular to mitigate the effects of jet lag, but also, if it is daytime, to not be blinded by the light in case of evacuation.
Opening the window blinds on planes is therefore not a flight attendant’s fancy, but rather an imperative for everyone’s safety. Moreover, these small round windows also constitute fragile areas for the devices, which weigh down the body of the plane, but which are, for the moment, essential. Among the advanced prototypes for the future of aviation, some companies – such as Emirates Airlines – dream of removing these windows, proposing for example to replace them with screens broadcasting virtual landscapes.
Without opening to the outside, planes would be less expensive to manufacture, but also lighter and faster, thus consuming less fuel. But to date, no device of this type has been developed.
