The middle seats are safer than the window or aisle seats, as you might expect, because of the buffer provided by having people on either side, professor Drury said to the Conversation. He noted that sitting next to an exit row can ensure a quick exit if there is an emergency, except in case if there is a fire.

When it comes to aviation safety, there is no definitive "safe side" of an aircraft, as modern commercial planes are engineered for extreme redundancy and structural integrity on both the left and right. Statistical data from organizations like the NTSB suggests that if a crash occurs, passengers seated in the rear of the aircraft (behind the wing) have a slightly higher survival rate—about 69% compared to 49% for those in the front—but this applies regardless of whether you are on the left or right side. Some travelers prefer the left side for psychological comfort because pilots traditionally enter and exit through the left door, and the captain usually sits in the left seat. However, in terms of mechanical failure, weather impact, or structural stress, both sides are treated equally by safety regulations and rigorous testing. The safest "seat" is actually determined more by proximity to an exit row than by which side of the fuselage you are on. In the event of an emergency evacuation, being within five rows of an exit is the most statistically significant factor for safety, rather than choosing between the port or starboard side of the cabin.