Why are cabin lights are dimmed on airplanes?

Cabin lights are dimmed for take-off and landing on most flights, particularly long-haul flights, and especially those operating at night. Have you ever wondered just why are cabin lights dimmed for take-off and landing? Well, read on and you’ll find out exactly what the reasons behind this common practice are.

Rest assured, there’s nothing to worry about when the cabin lights are dimmed, and it is all done in the interest of passenger safety. To give you a better understanding, here are the topics and frequently asked questions we’ll be covering in this blog post:

Why cabin lights are dimmed for take-off and landing

You may have heard stories about grumpy residents complaining about window lights disturbing them, as planes get ready to take off at busy airports located nearby. This may be true, in some cases – but it is not the reason why airplanes categorically dim cabin lights for take-off and landing. Actually, the explanation is a bit more interesting than that.

In simple terms, cabin lights are dimmed during take-off and landing as a safety precaution. The term precaution is key, however, as it is only done to be effective in an extremely unlikely event, namely: an emergency evacuation during take-off or landing. Why is this beneficial, you ask? Well, just like pirates on the open seas who used to wear eye patches, there are some tricks that human beings can use to help our eyes to adjust from light to darkness, and vice versa. For example, if you were asked to disembark a brightly lit airplane cabin and go directly into pitch-black darkness, you wouldn’t be able to see very clearly. However, if your eyes are even slightly adjusted to darkness – from the cabin being dimmed – this gives you a significant advantage in being able to see better. This helps you establish a stronger, faster sense of direction in the first few seconds, and few minutes, after leaving the aircraft. These first minutes could prove vital in extreme scenarios, so you really want to have your wits (and vision) about you.

Are cabin lights dimmed for take-off and landing on all flights?

Generally speaking, no. Obviously, your eyes only need to be adjusted to the semi-darkness if it is dark outside. In other words: this would only be required during night time. Having said that, different airline regulatory bodies from different countries or regions have different definitions of what a “night flight” is. This is dependent on the particular latitude, season, and daylight hours. However, these regulations are all made to line up with the common human sense of light and dark. So, if you’re at the airport departure lounge, looking out the window at the aircraft you’re about to board, chances are you’ll know whether the cabin lights will be dimmed or not.

The same reasons, in reverse, explain why flight attendants also request you to raise the window blinds during take-off and landing. During daytime flights, having the cabin flooded with natural daylight acts, in the same way, to pre-adjust our eyes to the natural conditions outside the airplane. Having the darkness of outside come into the cabin, during night time flights, does a similar thing.

Who regulates whether cabin lights need to be dimmed?

Generally speaking, there is no definitive rule on who determines whether cabin lights have to be dimmed on take-off and landing. Usually, it is a company policy of individual airlines, contained within the company’s standard regulations for routine safety procedures. These guidelines are usually created in line with national advisory bodies for the country in which the airline is headquartered. For example, for airlines headquartered in Canada, such as Air Canada and WestJet, their safety guidelines are informed by the Transport Canada Civil Aviation Authority’s procedural manuals, advisory circulars, and other documents and legislation regarding the operation of flights at night.

Ready to dim the cabin lights and get into the air? The first step is finding a destination and finding a flight. Luckily, BudgetAir is there to help you on both counts, making it super easy to compare prices and routes from hundreds of different airlines in one simple search! If you’re still unsure where to go, have a look at the online travel blog for inspiration. If you’re ready to start booking flights, head straight to BudgetAir and get to it!