There is a very difficult reason to guess why the doors of the planes are on the left. Of course, there are exceptions to the left-hand boarding rule (two-seater planes, wheelchair boarding, passengers with special needs…), but on technical planes, the doors are located on the left and passengers are always boarded from the left side.
Maybe when you try to guess the reason for this situation that some of you don’t realize, you might think “there will definitely be a very technical reason”, but there is a surprising and traditional reason.
Aviation was inspired by navigation.
The reason why we board airplanes from the left is based on the times when aviation was just emerging. At this time, nautical already existed and nautical terms inspired aircraft terms.
To give a few examples:
- Captain
- Navigation
- Galley (ship galley)
- Onboard
The tradition on ships was also practiced on airplanes.
As we know, ships have port (left) and starboard (right). In ancient times, an oar was used on the starboard side to set the bow of the boat or ship on the desired course. Entrances were made from the left so that this oar on the right would not get stuck between the pier and the boat.
The same habit continued even when the boat paddle was taken to the back. It had become a tradition, and aircraft designers continued to use the same design. Thus, the doors of the planes continued to be on the left until today.
Passenger boarding bridges made the aircraft gates located on the left permanent.
In 1959, when passenger boarding bridges became operational, left-hand boarding became permanent. As these bridges were designed according to the doors on the left, continuing the tradition, all the instructions regarding the flight were implemented accordingly.
Thus, it was obligatory for cabin crew to load the luggage onto the plane and for the crew loading the fuel of the plane to work on the right side. While catering, cargo and fuel operations still take place on the right side of the plane, passengers board the plane on the left.
From a small tradition to a rule that lasts for a hundred years…
In short, the fact that a tiny oar was on the right 100 years ago was the reason for the instruction to board the plane from the left side, which is now a rule, and has been going on for years. It will probably continue like this, no matter how much time passes…
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