Should the Fasten Seatbelt Sign Remain On All the Time?

I’ve been reading a lot about passengers and crew getting injured due to clear air turbulence (CAT). The severity of CAT can be alarming, with planes sometimes dropping by 1,000 feet or more. This can be especially frightening when you’re in cruise flight, trying to relax without your seatbelt fastened. Given the increasing frequency of CAT incidents worldwide, likely due to climate change, it raises the question of whether the fasten seatbelt sign should remain on throughout the entire flight. However, the answer to this question is no, and there are several reasons why.

First, let’s understand what clear air turbulence (CAT) is. CAT is a type of turbulence that is not detected by aircraft radar, making it particularly dangerous because it can happen without warning, often at high altitudes where the plane is cruising smoothly. When a plane encounters CAT, unsecured passengers can be thrown into the ceiling and then slammed into the floor, and loose objects like food and drinks can be flung across the cabin. This is why cabin crew often remind passengers to keep their seatbelts fastened at all times when seated, even if the fasten seatbelt sign is off.

Despite the dangers of CAT, it is not necessary to keep the fasten seatbelt sign on for the entire duration of the flight, nor is it likely that regulatory bodies like the FAA and ICAO would mandate this. There are several reasons for this.

Seatbelt Sign May Lose Importance

First, keeping the fasten seatbelt sign on at all times would diminish its importance and sense of urgency. The fasten seatbelt sign is typically switched on during takeoff and landing, which are the most critical phases of flight. During cruise, the sign is usually switched off unless the plane encounters turbulence or is flying through rough weather. When the sign is on, passengers know that it’s important to stay seated and buckled up because the situation could be dangerous.

If the sign were left on for the entire flight, passengers might begin to disregard it, especially during periods of smooth flying. People would likely still get up to use the lavatory, retrieve items from the overhead bins, or stretch their legs during long-haul flights. This disregard could carry over into situations when the sign is on for valid safety reasons, such as during turbulence, takeoff, or landing. In such cases, the urgency of obeying the sign would be lost, potentially leading to more dangerous situations if passengers don’t take it seriously.

It is crucial that when the fasten seatbelt sign is switched on, passengers recognize the urgency and importance of staying seated and buckled up. Keeping the sign on continuously could undermine this, reducing the effectiveness of one of the key safety measures in place during flight.

Passengers and Crew May Still Get Injured

Second, even if the fasten seatbelt sign is switched on throughout the flight, passengers and crew can still get injured. Cabin crew moves around the cabin during cruise to attend to passenger needs and to serve food and beverages. Passengers go to the lavatory or stretch during long-haul flights. When a plane encounters CAT, which often occurs without prior warning even from the flight deck, they can get thrown. It is also not practical to prevent passengers from using the lavatories or crew from serving food and beverages. While there will always be some risk, this is uncommon. We can only hope that the plane doesn’t encounter CAT.

So what is the best way to minimize injuries? The best approach is continued education, especially on the importance of keeping seatbelts fastened when seated. Keeping the fasten seatbelt sign switched on throughout the flight may not be the solution because this could reduce the urgency associated with it, leading passengers to disregard the sign, particularly during takeoff and landing, which are the most dangerous parts of a flight. Airlines should continue to remind passengers to keep their seatbelts fastened while seated and to minimize unnecessary movement around the cabin.