Southwest Airlines is said to be ending its early cabin service on its flights from next month.
Starting December 4, a company spokesman said, pilots will begin adjusting the cabin to reach an altitude of 18,000 feet (5,486 meters) instead of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). The policy change is designed to “reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries” to crew and passengers, the company said.
For passengers, this means they will need to do the things they need to do before disembarking – like making sure their seat belts are fastened and returning their seats to the upright position – earlier than ever.
Although deaths from violence are rare, the wounded have piled up for many years. More than a third of all aviation incidents in the United States from 2009 to 2018 were turbulence-related, and most of them resulted in one or more serious injuries but no aircraft damage, The National Transportation Safety Board said.
In May, a 73-year-old man died on a Singapore Airlines flight when the plane crashed heavily in the Indian Ocean.
The airline has already announced other changes.
Starting next year, Southwest will run half a year “open seating” ceremony – passengers taking their seats after boarding the plane.
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