Southwest Airlines to complete cabin service earlier on flights to reduce chance of injury

Southwest Airlines says it is ending cabin service earlier on flights, requiring passengers to do the usual pre-landing procedures such as ensuring their seatbelts are fastened and returning their seats to an upright position earlier than before.

Beginning on Dec. 4, a business spokesperson said, flight attendants will commence preparing the cabin for landing at an altitude of 18,000 feet (5,486 meters) instead of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). The transformation in procedure is designed to “reduce the uncertainty of in-flight turbulence injuries” for crew members and passengers, the business said.

While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years. More than one-third of all airline incidents in the United States from 2009 through 2018 were related to turbulence, and most of them resulted in one or more solemn injuries but no damage to the plane, the National Transportation Safety Board reported.

In May, a 73-year ancient man died on board a Singapore Airlines flight when the plane hit severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean.

The airline had also previously announced other changes.

Starting next year, Southwest will toss out a half-century custom of “open seating” — passengers picking their own seats after boarding the plane.