Why do passengers always board planes through the left door?

Passenger doors for aircraft are typically located on the left side of the fuselage. However, many people are unaware that there is also a door on the right side of the aircraft, though passengers are never allowed to use it.

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Why are passengers not allowed to board from the right side of the plane?

The reason why passengers always board from the left side of the plane can be partly explained by practicality and partly by convention. Safety is the most important factor.

According to former pilot Dan Bubb, who is now a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, many activities related to the aircraft take place on the right side. Ground staff refuel the plane, load and unload checked baggage, transport cargo, serve food and drinks on the plane… so it would be very dangerous if passengers boarded the plane from the right side, where there are many vehicles and equipment in operation.

This becomes even more important when passengers disembark from the plane using stairs instead of jet bridges. In this case, passengers and the flight crew need to be kept safe and away from any potential dangerous activities happening on the other side.

After landing and preparing to disembark the plane, anyone can look out the right side window and see ground staff working with specialized vehicles. They have to complete their tasks quickly so the plane can turn around and perform the next flight. The right side of the plane is reserved for their work.

The second reason is that passengers boarding and disembarking from the left side helps the pilot easily align the jet bridge with the plane.

According to Vishnu Ravi, an aerospace engineer on the Quora forum, this helps the pilot accurately position the aircraft door to the terminal building. If not done correctly, the wing of the plane could collide with the building.

Another explanation for passengers always boarding the plane from the left side is a convention from the naval era when people boarded and disembarked from the left side (port side) of ships.

In the Maritime industry, the term “port and starboard” is commonly used, with “port” referring to the left side. In the past, sailors used oars to steer the boat, and because most people are right-handed, the oar was placed on the right side of the boat. When the boat docked, the left side of the boat would be next to the dock. Therefore, the left side is where cargo is loaded and passengers board and disembark. The Aviation industry emerged after the Maritime industry and followed this convention, with passengers boarding and disembarking from the left side.

In the Aviation industry, the left side is where passengers and the flight crew board and disembark, while the right side is the “service door” used for refueling, loading/unloading baggage, meals, etc.

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