Even the most advanced automated systems can encounter malfunctions. Manually opening doors eliminates this risk, ensuring that the doors operate reliably at all times.
Today, transportation modes are becoming increasingly diverse, ranging from buses and cars to airplanes. When traveling on public transport like buses or subways, passengers often notice automatic doors opening and closing each time they board or alight. However, on airplanes, passengers witness flight attendants manually opening and closing the aircraft doors. This raises the question: Why do airplanes not use automatic doors like other forms of transportation?
Airplane Door.
The airplane door is one of the crucial elements ensuring passenger safety. Manual operation allows the crew to have tight control over the process of opening and closing the doors, especially in emergency situations.
1. Airplane Doors Are Designed for Maximum Safety
One of the primary reasons airplane doors cannot integrate automation technology is safety concerns. Airplanes operate at high altitudes, under air pressure that differs significantly from ground level, and must withstand various aerodynamic influences. If airplane doors were automated, the risk of safety incidents could increase compared to ground vehicles, particularly if the automated system malfunctions.
Unlike ground transportation, where a door malfunction may cause only minor inconveniences, on an airplane, a door issue could lead to catastrophic consequences. Airplane doors not only allow passengers to enter and exit but also play a vital role in maintaining pressure within the cabin. If a door fails while the aircraft is flying at several thousand meters, the pressure difference inside and outside could lead to cabin explosions or sudden loss of pressure, endangering passengers.
For this reason, manually opening and closing the doors allows flight attendants to ensure absolute safety. They can control this process and promptly detect and prevent potential malfunctions.
Manual door operation helps flight attendants ensure absolute safety.
Airplanes come in various sizes and structures, and using manually operated doors increases flexibility, suitable for different types of aircraft. Manual doors can be easily adjusted to accommodate different weather and environmental conditions, such as strong winds and heavy rain.
2. Costs and Complexity of Integrating Automation
Another reason airplane doors are not automated is cost issues. Designing airplane doors is far more complex than for other modes of transportation. The materials used for airplane doors must be exceptionally durable, capable of withstanding high pressure and sudden changes in temperature and pressure.
Additionally, automatic doors often require more complex mechanical systems and incur higher costs for maintenance and regular inspections. Airplanes do not carry as many passengers as buses or subways in a single day, thus, investing in automatic doors may not be economically beneficial. Furthermore, for flights with fewer passengers, using manually operated doors does not create any significant inconvenience in the operational process.
Moreover, designing automatic doors requires precise components and materials with higher load-bearing capacity. This leads to the cost of an automatic door potentially being several times that of a manual door, increasing the production and maintenance costs of the aircraft.
Manual door systems are simpler and cheaper to produce and maintain than automatic doors.
3. Air Tightness – The Difference Between Airplane Doors and Other Vehicles
One of the most important factors requiring airplane doors to be manually operated is the ability to maintain airtightness. When an airplane flies at several thousand meters, the external air pressure is very low compared to the cabin pressure. To ensure passenger safety and comfort within the cabin, airplane doors must have the capability to seal completely, preventing outside air from entering.
With automatic doors, ensuring perfect airtightness becomes significantly more complex. The automatic mechanisms often involve numerous mechanical parts and electrical circuits, which can increase the likelihood of system failures and airtightness issues. In contrast, manual doors have a simpler design, and flight attendants can fully control the opening and closing process, ensuring that the door is tightly sealed when the aircraft takes off.
Ensuring perfect airtightness with automatic doors is much more complex.
In summary, the answer to why airplanes do not incorporate automatic doors primarily lies in three factors: safety, cost, and airtightness. Airplanes are transportation means operating under special conditions with stringent safety requirements. The manual door design not only reduces the risk of technical failures but also ensures airtightness, protecting passengers throughout the journey.
While automatic doors may offer convenience in other transportation modes, such as buses or subways, when it comes to airplanes, the complexity of operating at high altitudes and in harsh conditions demands a more reliable solution. Until superior technology ensures that automatic airplane doors can be as safe and reliable as manual ones, maintaining traditional door operations seems to be a reasonable choice.
