Southwest Airlines will stop providing cabin service earlier to lower the risk of injuries.

Southwest Airlines says it is ending its cabin service earlier on its flights starting next month.

According to a company spokesperson, starting on Dec. 4, flight attendants will commence cabin preparations for landing at the altitude of 18,000 feet (5,486 meters) instead of the previous 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). The company explained that this procedural adjustment aims to lower the potential for in-flight turbulence injuries experienced by both crew members and passengers.

For passengers, that means they will need to do the usual pre-landing procedures — such as ensuring their seatbelts are fastened and returning their seats to an upright position — earlier than before.

While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years. More than one-third of all airline incidents in the United States from 2009 through 2018 were related to turbulence, and most of them resulted in one or more serious injuries but no damage to the plane, the National Transportation Safety Board reported.

In May, a 73-year old man died on board a Singapore Airlines flight when the plane hit severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean.

The airline had also previously announced other changes.

Starting next year, Southwest will toss out a half-century tradition of “open seating” — passengers picking their own seats after boarding the plane.