Why do airplanes at every airport disembark at the left (port) side?
I travel by air a lot, and at virtually every airport I've ever been too, including where you disembark by stairs, as opposed to by jet bridge, the left-hand-doors are always used; and the right-hand-doors are used for loading catering trolleys, etc. I understand why it would be useful to standardise this within a particular airport, but not between different airports. Is there any good reason for this? Conjecture is OK, but a verifiable answer would be best! :)
Best Answer
The "left" side of the plane is usually referred to as the Port side. The term most likely comes from terminology as used for Ships (Fore, Aft, Port, Starboard, Up and Down). I would say it is convention that ships dock such that the Port is on the left, from which the term for the side gets its name ("The side of where the Port is").
Pictures about "Why do airplanes at every airport disembark at the left (port) side?"
Why do planes exit from the left?
One explanation is due to the fact that the pilot sits on the left, and needs to be able to accurately align the plane door with the terminal for people to exit. Another reason is because the grounds crew fuels the plane on the right side, so keeping passengers to the left gives them freedom to work.Why is the pilot always on the left?
After World War I, most airplanes had rotary engines with left turning tendencies because it followed the torque of the engine. Therefore, turning left was easier than turning right. Because of this, pilots considered left turns as more convenient maneuver, and thus more experienced pilot started sitting on the left.Is it better to be on the left or right side of a plane?
Travellers choose to sit on the right hand side of an aeroplane rather than the left, a new study has found. Edinburgh researchers found people's preference over which side they sit on was dictated by the "mind's rightward bias in representing the real world".Do planes use port starboard?
Port/starboard is not used in aviation and I don't know of any equivalent besides left/right. Some things seem to have been carried over though - you still almost always board an aircraft from the port side, don't you? And port/left is still a red light, and starboard/right is still a green light, on aircraft.Why do passengers board Aircraft from the left side ?? Best Answer ...!!!
More answers regarding why do airplanes at every airport disembark at the left (port) side?
Answer 2
I expect it's because most airplanes are designed for boarding and deplaning on the left.
Next time you're on an airplane, take a look around as you're boarding. In my experience, the area around the boarding door on the left is relatively spacious and designed to direct passengers into the cabin. The corresponding space on the right is usually a galley. It would be less convenient for passengers to have to pass through the galley to board or deplane, and would interfere with the ability of crew to work in the galley (preparing drinks for oncoming passengers, or cleaning up after a flight).
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: JESHOOTS.com, นายชิษณุพงศ์ ศะศิวนิชย์, Andrea Piacquadio, Pixabay