Why Do We Enter A Plane From The Left Side? — Ever Wondered Why?

Why do we always board a plane from the left? Have you ever thought why passengers board an aeroplane from the left side? Here’s the reason.

By Abhinand

Updated: Monday, December 4, 2017, 15:59 [IST]

At least some of us might find the world of aircrafts quite fascinating. Flying for the first time is always a cherishable memory. The acceleration on the runway, the clouds, the horizon, the inevitable nausea for some, are all part of it.

But, there's one thing we do before all that - Boarding the plane. And, we board from the left side only. Why is that?

Why Do We Enter An Aeroplane From The Left Side? — Ever Wondered Why?

During early times, planes used to taxi close to the terminals for loading and unloading people and their stuff. There were no fancy airport taxis or coaches at that time.

The pilot, conventionally, was always seated on the left in order to judge the wingspan and clearance, while approaching the terminal.

Hence, left side doors proved more convenient for the passengers to enter the plane, and also avoided the need for them to circle around the plane.

Another reason for the left-side entry of passengers in a plane is that Aviation follows some principles of sailing.

During ancient times, ships didn't have its tiller (lever attached to the rudder post of a boat to provide leverage in the form of torque by the sailor/helmsman's hands; Move the tiller to the left and the boat moves right) in the centre. Instead, they were on the right side (starboard side).

So, ships were always docked on the left side (port side) of the port, to prevent the steering oar from getting in the way of the docking process. And that tradition continued.

DriveSpark Thinks!
There are some details that we always miss in our daily routine. It is always interesting to know more about them too. And when someone pops up such a question like, ‘Why do passengers board a plane from the left side only?', you know what to say.