Why do passenger jets have oxygen masks for travelers?

More specifically, it's all about cabin pressure – which is why Southwest passengers were told to use them back in 2018. The air at high altitudes is thin, and oxygen levels very low, so aircraft have clever systems in place to keep cabin pressure at a level equivalent to an altitude of around 5,000-8,000 feet.



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When a plane has pressurization issues, pilots typically try to get below 10,000 feet as quickly and safely as possible. At higher altitudes, the air is thinner, which is why oxygen masks deploy in the event of a loss of cabin pressure.

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When you fly on an airplane, the flight attendant instructs you to “put your oxygen mask on first,” before helping others. Why is this an important rule for ensuring survival? Because if you run out of oxygen yourself, you can't help anyone else with their oxygen mask.

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Without oxygen, you will quickly feel drowsy and even euphoric, a phenomenon known as hypoxia, but as time passes, continued lack of oxygen to the brain will lead to blackouts, passing out, and possibly even death.

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In the unlikely event that the system fails, and the aircraft is above 14,000 feet (4,267 meters), oxygen masks will drop from overhead. While passengers and cabin crew are provided with these unmistakable yellow cups, pilots have different – much more interesting – equipment.

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Pressurization problems and hypoxia have caused past aircraft crashes, including the one that killed golfer Payne Stewart and others in 1999.

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According to Airbus, if a plane loses pressure at 40,000 feet, those on board have as little as 18 seconds of “useful consciousness” without supplemental oxygen. Once the euphoria is over, hypoxia renders one unconscious and can cause brain damage or death. So wear the mask.

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The dimming of cabin lights only happens when it is dusk, dawn or dark outside the aircraft. This is a safety measure, and is to ensure your eyes are adjusted to the gloom enough to see the floor lights leading you to safety along the aisle in the event of a crash or emergency evacuation.

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Masks will automatically drop
Any cabin depressurization above a certain altitude (usually around 14,000 feet) will cause the panels of the chambers containing the masks to automatically open, and the masks to drop down. This can, of course, be done manually by the cockpit crew as well.

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It's an instruction to set the doors to automatic mode so that emergency evacuation slides will deploy when the door is opened. The cross-check means that after arming their assigned door, the flight attendant should check that their opposite number has also armed their door.

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Why do the flight attendants touch the overhead compartment so often? Flight attendants don't just touch the ceiling for fun when they walk; the bottom of the overhead compartment has a scalloped area that provides a better grip when walking down a moving airplane.

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Most major airlines around the world have dropped mask mandates as of 2023. Some of the biggest airlines that do NOT require masks (except in limited cases where the country of origin or final destination may require it) are: Delta Air Lines.

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Using a halon or water extinguisher will be the solution in most cases. Communicator. A second crewmember can act as the communicator, relaying information to the flight deck, including the location, source, and severity of the fire.

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