Air transportation is the newest, one of the fastest and most comfortable modes of transportation, either for short or long journeys. Travelling by air is, however, fraught with risk due to the fragility of the aeroplanes, helicopters, airships, gliders, blimps and parachutes, as well as the height and speed from which they rapidly descend.
Therefore, to ensure your safety and that of other persons on board and increase your chances of survival in air crashes, below is a list of safety tips for passengers to prepare for their trip.
Travel safety tips for air transportation
The following are travel safety tips that motorists should abide by while travelling by air:
Be careful of what you pack in your luggage
Knowing how fragile all aircraft types are, passengers should not pack any combustible items in their suitcase or luggage. As much as possible, limit the number of metal items in any luggage. There is also the tendency to travel with our electronic devices, but most of them can be left at home for safety purposes. Instead, the contents and files in such devices can be backed up to a portable hard drive, the cloud, or both.
With a weight limit of load allowed by airlines, passengers should pack their luggage sensibly by only stuffing them with the essential clothes, documents and items needed for the trip.
Let your hand luggage be filled with only the essentials
As the name implies, hand luggage is a light bag that customers can have while onboard their flight. It typically contains valuables and items needed during the journey, and it is to be placed in a small storage space designed for it. Most airlines only allow passengers to have one hand luggage, whose weight should not be more than 7kg.
Therefore, the hand luggage should only be filled up with essentials such as:
- A file of the medical history of travellers and emergency contacts;
- Medications;
- Torchlight
- Oxygen masks and/or smoke hood
- Necessary identity documents (ID card/voters’ card/NIN slip/driver’s licence; passport and visa; ticket/boarding pass; ATM cards e.t.c.);
- Emergency mobile phone and charger.
Passengers should put their luggage in the overhead cabin opposite them for security reasons, although some airlines insist that they place it in the overhead cabin.
Alternatively, passengers can stuff all the aforementioned items in a waist pouch or a small cross-body wallet bag hung across their shoulders.
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Dress sensibly for safety
Passengers should dress in comfortable clothes to enable them to move quickly in the case of any emergency. They have to protect their skin from exposure to bruises or flame.
Therefore, the best clothes for passengers to wear to protect them from heat and fire are natural fibre materials (cotton, denim, leather, wool). Women should avoid wearing skirts, stockings and heels. This is because the safety slide is rough and built with Velco materials. Men should also not wear shorts while on a flight.
Also, no one should wear flip-flops while in an aircraft. Instead, shoes (preferably loafers) are the best for air travel.
Get a seat at the exit aisle
The best seat for passengers to request when booking their ticket, especially on commercial aeroplanes, is the one located on the exit aisle at the back of the aeroplane. The exit aisle at the back of planes is usually the farthest from impact in the event of accidents and the most distant from explosive fuel.
Passengers whose seats are close to the exit aisle at the back or any other location of any aircraft should endeavour to read the instructions imprinted on the doors and be prepared to carry out their duties. This is because, in the event of any emergency, the fate of virtually everyone onboard lies with the action of the passengers seated at those prized doors.
Listen to the instructions of the pilot and flight attendants
The pilot in any aircraft is the captain, commander and leader of the flight, and every passenger’s safety is his or her responsibility. So, when pilots reel out instructions before take-off and landing, every passenger must strictly adhere to them.
In the same vein, flight attendants are on planes primarily for safety reasons. They are trained to risk their lives to save that of passengers. So, if one of them asks you to do anything, especially during emergencies, heed the directive first and ask questions later.
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Read the safety card and be alert around your surrounding
One important safety point passengers neglect is to read the passengers’ safety card immediately after they are seated and settled on the plane. It is pertinent for passengers to study the safety card both before take-off and landing so that the information is fresh in their minds.
Also, passengers must be alert at all times. Even while watching movies or sleeping onboard, they must be conscious in case of any eventuality. As previously mentioned, have an evacuation/escape plan in mind, and know where the emergency doors are. Ensure you know how to locate and wear your life jacket, especially if you need to eject from your plane and splash into a river or an ocean for safety reasons.
Fasten your seatbelt
Both the pilot(s) and passengers must use their seat belts. This is, perhaps, the most important safety tip in air travel. Seat belts protect as they are one of the best ways to reduce injuries in air crashes, especially during the take-off and landing phases and in times of turbulence during the flight.
Before commencing a flight, the pilot and flight attendants must confirm that all passengers on the plane wear their seat belts correctly. After ensuring that, the pilot and the flight attendants must wear theirs before setting off on the journey.
Use child seats for children
Parents must ensure that they use an approved child safety seat or device if their child weighs less than 40 pounds. It is for the child’s safety, as they should be seated comfortably on seats designed for them. Not sitting properly could cause physical injuries for the children, dyspnea or even asphyxiation.
Limit alcohol consumption while on the plane
Being on a plane can be quite fascinating, especially for first-timers or persons who seldomly travel by air and can sometimes enjoy themselves by having a bottle(s) of booze while chatting, reading or watching movies. However, it is pertinent to be mindful of consuming substances while onboard.
This is because the atmosphere in an airliner cabin is highly pressurised. In such a steaming environment, excess alcohol consumption impairs judgment, coordination and balance; it affects a person’s ability to make swift decisions and could debilitate them. Passengers, therefore, have to exercise caution by drinking responsibly while travelling on any aircraft.
Check the weather and plan all journeys accordingly
Pilots must figure out what time they will set out and how many hours they will be flying before their trip. It is also important that pilots check the weather condition and get confirmation from the authorities before taking off. This is because inclement weather is a major factor in air crashes.
If the weather is not favourable, it is best for the pilot and the airline to suspend that trip and reschedule for safety and visibility purposes, irrespective of the grumblings and intimidations by passengers. Also, if the weather suddenly changes for the worst while already flying, the pilot should locate the nearest airport and make an emergency landing.
For night flights, pilots are expected to check the planes to ensure all necessary equipment to aid such journeys are well-fitted and are in good working condition. They must also know the routes they will move through and utilise their GPS to help them navigate the sky to avoid collisions. They must also ensure that their jet fuel tanks are filled up and have enough extra in case of refuelling.
Also, passengers must plan by making reservations for the hotels and/or lodgings where they will stay on arrival at their destination.
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