Southwest Airlines has announced from December 4 they will end cabin service earlier, as their aircraft prepare for landing, in order to reduce the risk of injuries to passengers and cabin crew.
Currently landing preparations begin when the aircraft descends to 10,000 feet, but this will be increased to 18,000 feet in a move the airlines suggested will "reduce flight attendant injuries by at least 20 percent."
Southwest Airlines has announced major changes this year, including scrapping its open seating system and using assigned seats like other airlines. This move was announced in July and will take effect from the beginning of 2025. In September, the airline's chief operating officer Andrew Watterson told employees it would have to make "difficult decisions" in a bid to boost revenue.
Speaking to Newsweek on Thursday, a Southwest Airlines spokesperson said: "Southwest Airlines flight attendants will begin preparing the cabin for landing at an altitude of 18,000 feet beginning December 4. The change in procedures is designed to reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries for our crew members and customers.
"It is the result of the airline's close collaboration with its labor partners and a robust approach to safety management. Previously, preparation for landing began at 10,000 feet. Nothing is more important to Southwest Airlines than the safety of our customers and employees."
Preparations for landing typically include ensuring carry-on luggage is stowed, seats and tables are upright, laptops are packed away and window shades are open.
In an internal memo to employees, acquired by travel website View From The Wing, Southwest Airlines said that under the new system "at top of descent, the pilots will make a required PA [public announcement] to inform the cabin that the descent phase has begun."
Then "at 18,000 feet, the pilots will make one high-low chime, indicating the start of sterile flight deck. This chime serves as your cue to secure the cabin for landing and to be seated and secured in your jumpseats."
The memo adds: "The evaluation of thousands of data points from flight attendant and pilot reports paired with information from the Flight Data Analysis Program, confirmed that seating our flight attendants earlier should reduce flight attendant injuries by at least 20 percent.
"In-flight and flight ops will validate the effectiveness of these new procedures, and if we do not achieve the desired result, we will continue to find solutions."
According to data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), acquired by Euro News, between 2009 and 2021, 146 passengers and crew were seriously injured while airborne due to turbulence.
On November 15, a Southwest Airline aircraft with passengers onboard was struck by a bullet while preparing to take off at Dallas Love Field Airport in Texas. No casualties were reported and the flight taxied back to the airport terminal.
In July, the airline confirmed it was undergoing a safety audit by the FAA following a number of dangerous incidents, including one where an aircraft descended to just 150 feet above the water near Tampa International Airport.
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