Here’s Why Flight Attendants Sit on Their Hands During Takeoff and Landing on Airplanes

Have you ever wondered why flight attendants sit on their hands when taking off and landing in an airplane?

According to Henny Lim, a flight attendant for Cebu Pacific in the Philippines, the move was made on purpose to help staff if the ride gets rough.

In a post on TikTok, Lim called the act “an anchoring position,” noting that it “involves tying [your] safe seat belt, [sitting] upright, [sitting] on [your] hands — palms up, thumbs up [tucked] and hands loose — i [placing your] feet flat on the floor.”

“The goal is to keep the body in a rigid position, so that if there is any impact from an unplanned emergency, the body is less damaged,” she continued. “This keeps body movement limited so there’s less chance of injury if there was an impact.”

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During takeoff and landing, when flight attendants sit with their arms crossed, Lim added that they also participate in what she called a “silent inspection.”

This act, she said, “preparation [us] for an emergency [during] every takeoff and landing.”

“This includes awareness of emergency equipment on site, door operations, commands given and any visual clues outside [of] aircraft,” Lim added.

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Aircraft manufacturer Airbus recommends that all in-flight crew members perform such silent checks on each flight, in accordance with their safety documents.

“A silent review (or 30-second review) is recommended for cabin crew to mentally recall key aspects of the emergency evacuation procedure while seated before each takeoff and landing, and reduces the risk of distraction,” the document states.

They add: “This silent review will help the cabin crew to focus and be ready in case an emergency evacuation is required. This technique will also help reduce the startle effect.”

Rear view image of people flying in an airplane.

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Talking to Travel + free time, Hilary Clark, director of in-flight services for private jet company Planet 9, reiterated to the paper that a flight attendant sitting on her hands is a “safety position”.

“The reason for this safety position is that their head, hands and arms will already be in a slightly gripped position if an emergency occurs during takeoff or landing,” she continued.

Clark also noted that flight attendants sitting with their arms crossed isn’t the only position they might use during the start and end of a plane ride.

“Depending on the position and location of the jump seat and the type of aircraft, they also position the head in a certain way for takeoff and landing,” she explained to Travel + free time. “For example, if their seat is facing away from the pilot, towards the back of the aircraft, they place their head slightly up and back on the headrest. If their seat is facing the pilot, towards the front of the aircraft, they position their heads down and chins slightly tucked in as if are bowing.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education