✈️ Discover the fascinating backstory behind why planes are boarded from the left side! You won’t believe the historical connection that’s just been uncovered
People are just now figuring out why we always board and load planes from the left side.
You might not have noticed, but it’s a consistent practice that when you get on a plane, you usually do so from the left side.
This applies whether you’re entering from the front or the back of the plane or through a corridor or stairs attached to the side. It’s always the left side.
And it seems there’s a historical reason behind this tradition.
Next time you fly, you can think about this reason to keep your mind occupied as you make your way to the plane.
So, why do we always board a plane from the left side?
A TikToker named Dougie Sharp explained it in a video. He said it’s because of terms used in boats and ships.
You’ve probably heard of “port” and “starboard” on a ship, right?
“Starboard” means the right side of a ship when you’re facing the front, while “port” is the left side.
The word “starboard” comes from Old English, where they combined “steer” and “side of the boat” because the steering oar was on the right side of the ship.
This made it easier for ships to dock on the left side, or the “port” side, where passengers would get off and cargo would be unloaded.
As humans transitioned from boats to airplanes, engineers kept this concept in mind. They designed airports and airplanes so that passengers always enter and exit from the left side.
So, when you board a plane on the left side, it’s because ancient mariners steered their ships from the right side over a thousand years ago.
People were surprised by this revelation. One person commented, “I never realized that ‘port’ meant the same thing as the direction and where ships dock.” Another said, “I love learning about traditions that have lasted for thousands of years.”
