Flight attendants will begin preparing the cabin for landing at an altitude of 18,000 feet instead of 10,000 feet starting Wednesday.
Southwest Airlines says it is ending its cabin service earlier on its flights starting next month.
Starting from December 4, flight attendants will start getting the cabin ready for landing when the aircraft reaches 18,000 feet (5,486 meters) instead of the previous 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). This new procedure aims to lower the chances of crew members and passengers sustaining injuries due to turbulence, as explained by a company spokesperson.
For passengers, this change means that they will have to complete the typical pre-landing tasks, like ensuring their seatbelts are secured and adjusting their seats to an upright position, earlier than they did in the past.
Although incidents of turbulence resulting in fatal outcomes are rare, injuries have added up over time. A report by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that over a third of all airline incidents in the United States from 2009 to 2018 were linked to turbulence. Most of these incidents caused one or more serious injuries but did not damage the aircraft.
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.
