Have you ever looked at an aircraft and wondered why some of the windows are blocked out? It may seem a tad bizarre, however, there is a reason behind this. Let’s find out why they do this, how they choose where to do this, and what happens when they want a window back.
Many will have been standing at an airport terminal and noticed a white circle where ordinarily a window would be. If this has prompted you to question why, then you’re not alone. Thanks to a reader suggestion, Simple Flying decided to delve into the issue.
All about the aircraft’s layout
The reason some windows are blocked out as per the image above is all to do with the layout of the aircraft. You only need a window where there is a passenger to look outside. This is exactly why most of British Airways’ long haul aircraft have windows blocked at the front of the fuselage.
On aircraft that have it, British Airways places its First cabin at the front of the aircraft. Each first class seat has two windows allocated to it, with the remaining windows either side blocked out as unnecessary.
Instead of just placing a piece of paneling over the window on the inside, the airline fills the window’s space with a white plug. However, windows can also be filled in order to facilitate a toilet or galley.
This can be found onboard most of British Airways’s long haul fleet. For example, the Boeing 747, 777, and 787 all have this feature alongside the Airbus A380.
Interestingly, the Airbus A350 also has blocked out windows at the front, despite not having a first class cabin. In this case, these are blocked out to provide galley space at the front of the aircraft as the middle galley, known as the Club Kitchen, is used as more of an area where passengers grab a snack.
What if you want the windows back?
So what happens if British Airways decides it needs the window back? One may worry that any future refurbishments will be constrained to the current configuration of an aircraft’s windows. However, passengers and aircraft planners needn’t worry.
Simple Flying spoke to the airline about the configuration of windows on its aircraft. A spokesperson for the British flag carrier told us that the windows can be replaced if needed. Perhaps this option will be needed if and when British Airways decides to introduce a new hard product in First!
Have you noticed blocked out windows on aircraft before? Did you know the reason behind the missing windows? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
The post Here’s Why British Airways Block Out Some Windows On Aircraft appeared first on Simple Flying.