During a long flight, you may have wondered about a number of things, such as what happens to waste from the toilets or why the crew asks you to keep the window shades open during takeoff and landing. We have already answered the first question. As for the second, there are three main reasons.
A Question of Safety
First, it is essential to keep passengers’ eyes adjusted to darkness (for night flights) or to the outside light (for daytime flights) to allow for quicker reactions if a problem arises. Remember that takeoff and landing are the riskiest phases of any flight. During these moments, the margin for correcting human or technical error is indeed narrow due to the proximity to the ground. This is also why cabin lights are dimmed for takeoff and landing.
The same applies to ensuring a clear view of an emergency situation for first responders on the ground. If something goes wrong, crew members need a clear external view of the aircraft to assess the situation and take appropriate measures. Likewise, smoke or a fire inside the cabin may not be visible to external emergency services when the window shades are closed. Their ability to determine the best exit route from an aircraft is another reason why they must remain open.
A Method for Controlling Pressure
Let us also recall that it is necessary to regulate the pressure inside an aircraft, or you would lose consciousness at high altitude. The windows consist of outer, middle, and inner panes, all made from an ultrahighly resilient synthetic resin. In general, the middle pane has a small hole. It acts as a “valve” that allows the pressure between the air inside the cabin and the air between the outer and middle panes to balance out. It ensures that only the outer pane (the strongest) bears the pressure, leaving the middle pane available in case of an emergency.
That said, during takeoff and landing, cabin pressure changes rapidly. It is therefore important to balance it to avoid damage to passengers’ ears and sinuses. Moreover, the fact that closing the window shades increases the internal pressure inside the cabin can be dangerous for travelers.
Finally, note that modern airplanes are equipped with sophisticated air-conditioning systems that regulate the temperature and the air pressure inside the cabin, so normally, the opening of the windows does not affect passenger comfort.
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