As you’re making your way to the airport and doing your check-in or bag drop what is happening on the aircraft you will later fly on? There is a lot happening behind the scenes before and after every flight. Much of which you’ll never see.
As You’re Driving To The Airport for your Flight
While you’re driving or making your way to the airport the aircraft is most likely still on a previous duty. Probably the plane is on approach or on final approach into the airport itself.
What Is Happening While You’re At The Airport
About 2 hours (for long haul flights) before departure the aircraft is pulling into the gate and disembarking all its passengers. As soon as that is over and the crew has completed its post landing checks, an army of cleaners will race onboard. The cleaners are organised in groups that make the cleaning process as efficient as possible.
A first group picks up the biggest pieces of trash left behind. As they move foreward through the cabin a group of vacuum cleaners pick up anything else left over. Meanwhile another group is cleaning the bathrooms and removing the trash from the galleys (kitchens).
What is Happening When You Get To The Gate For Your Flight
As you’re hanging around the gate thinking that boarding is drawing closer, the crew swap is taking place. The new set of pilots is taking over the cockpit and the cabin crew is taking over the galleys and the cabins. Also at this time the old catering carts are removed and replaced with the new ones.
The new crew will check that everything has been loaded correctly. Shortly after when all caterers and cleaners have have left the aircraft the cabin crew does its checks. With all of this done it’s almost boarding time and all welcome service material for all cabins must be ready.
This is a particularly busy time for the galley operators (the kitchen operators) who have to prepare both the welcome services and start organising for the service after take off.
When You’re Boarding
You’ll have two crew members at each door welcoming you while the rest will be assisting everyone to settle in. Also this is a time when organizing the luggage in the overhead compartments is very important to have the cabin ready as soon as possible for take off.
This Happens Before Your Board a Flight
Just imagine this ballet happens every day tens of thousands of times all over the world. It is something truly mind blowing don’t you agree?
wow~ interesting 🙂