While onboard an aircraft, the cabin crew may request that the passengers do something, like remove headphones, for example. It may be inconvenient, but there are essential safety reasons for this. Here, we look at the safety behind the rules and why passengers should comply for themselves and the passengers around them.

5 Tray tables up and seat back in the upright position

You may hear this in the safety demonstration and will be reminded of it through announcements by the cabin crew before take-off and when preparing for landing. This rule is because, if the aircraft has to be evacuated, tray tables can be a significant obstacle when it comes to leaving your row and getting into the aisle. In the event of a hard landing, tray tables also prevent passengers from going into the brace position.

Similarly, with all seats upright, getting out of your seat into the aisle is much easier to disembark the aircraft quickly. Those who might covertly recline their seat again after the crew has checked could end up slowing down an evacuation. This is because the person in the seat behind you will have less space to maneuver in the event of an emergency.

4 Headphones off

Although many are eager to get into the latest movie or listen to relaxing music to forget about the flight, passengers are requested to wait until after take-off to use their headsets. If any emergency situation occurs during taxi, take-off, or landing, passengers need to hear announcements or commands from the cabin crew as clearly as possible.

Some airlines are stricter on this than others. Sometimes, passengers will simply be asked to remove their headphones, while with other carriers, the crew will go around the cabin collecting airline-issued headphones before landing checks.

3 Window blinds

The sunlight might be in the passenger's eyes, or they may want to sleep, but if the cabin crew asks them to open the window blind before take-off and landing, it's for good reason. It not only allows the passenger to adjust their vision to the outside light (again, in case of an emergency evacuation, so they can see as clearly as possible) but also allows the cabin crew to see conditions outside the aircraft.

For example, they may be able to assess weather conditions, distance to landing, or see if there is an engine fire. Additionally, it can enable emergency services to get a better look inside the cabin from the outside, potentially aiding efforts to rescue passengers or locate the center of a fire.

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2 Store belongings away

During the safety check, passengers may be asked to put their bags under the seat in front or in the overhead storage. This is because take-off and landing are done at speeds of around 250 km/h (150 mph), which is pretty darn fast! In the event of a crash, emergency stop, or other disruption, loose items can become projectiles and can cause injuries to the individual and passengers around them.

If an emergency does happen and the plane needs to be evacuated quickly, keeping rows and aisles clear of obstacles is absolutely crucial. An aisle full of loose belongings can significantly slow down the movement of passengers off the aircraft, potentially costing lives.

Another related point is the need for passengers to leave their belongings behind in the event of an evacuation. The recent Japan Airlines Flight 516 accident showed how important this is. All 367 passengers were able to get off the plane safely, as they were said to have heeded this advice strictly.

This starkly contrasts several other accidents where this advice wasn't listened to, such as the Aeroflot Flight 1942 accident in 2019. Forty-one of the plane's 78 occupants perished in the ensuing fire, with fatalities higher than they should have been as many passengers at the front of the plane stopped to collect their belongings, holding up the evacuation.

1 Seat belt sign

Ignore the seat belt sign at your peril! It means it is no longer safe to stand, walk around, go to the lavatory, or sit without the seat belt fastened. There may be turbulence during the flight, and you don't want to hit the roof or clatter into fellow passengers. In the event of severe turbulence, the passengers who aren't buckled up or standing in the aisles suffer the worst injuries. If you've kept up with Simple Flying's coverage over the years, you'll know this can mean hospitalization in severe instances of turbulence.

When landed, just because the aircraft is now on the ground, it also doesn't mean it's immediately safe to remove your luggage from the overhead locker or let a child out of their seat into the aisle - taxiing can still be a dangerous time, so stay buckled up.

Before landing, cabin crew must check that the cabin is as safe as possible, before reporting to the senior crew member and the captain that the cabin is secure. They will scan their area and check that tray tables are up, seat backs are upright, seat belts are on, and any cabin baggage is safely stowed away. This is necessary to ensure that passengers have the best chance of evacuating the aircraft as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency on landing.

So, although, as a passenger, these things may seem annoying or trivial during the flight, the cabin crew are doing what they can to protect you in an emergency. When the time comes for emergency procedures to be implemented, everyone is far better prepared to get off the plane quickly and safely, thanks to these cabin safety practices.

Which cabin safety rule do you think is the most important? Let us know in the comments.