If you fly often enough, chances are you've seen countless safety demonstrations that you're confident you know eveything that you need to know.
(However, you still need to pay attention to the safety video or safety demonstrations as not all airlines and planes share the same instructions.)
But these safety demonstrations weren't always a "thing". Each instruction – from how to fasten your seatbelt properly to knowing where the emergency exits are – stemmed from lessons learned through decades of aviation accidents and incidents.
One such incident took place on April 11, 1952, when Pan American World Airways Flight 526A (using a Douglas DC-4 plane), lost power in several engines shortly after taking off from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The pilot was forced to "land" the plane at sea.
Although the emergency landing was successful, the aircraft sank shortly afterwards, with many passengers unable to get to the life vests and life rafts in time. Of the 69 passengers and crew on board, 52 died.
The incident later helped shape better passenger safety procedures, including more comprehensive pre-flight safety briefings.
Recently, more than 70 years on, the tragedy returned to the spotlight after explorers discovered the aircraft's wreckage off the coast of Puerto Rico on the Atlantic Ocean, providing fresh insight into an accident that changed aviation.
Today, airlines continue to adopt new technologies to further improve flight safety.
Malaysia Airlines, for example, has joined the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Turbulence Aware programme, which provides pilots with real-time turbulence reports shared by participating airlines globally.
The system helps flight crew anticipte clear-air turbulence (CAT), allowing pilots to adjust flight paths or alert cabin crew and passengers earlier when necessary.
CAT is a "sudden violent jolt" of aircraft in cloudless skies, which typically cannot be detected by radar or seen with the naked eye.
The airline said in a press statement that access to shared weather intelligence will help pilots make better informed operational decisions, while improving passenger comfort and supporting safe flight operations. Changing weather patterns make turbulence difficult to predict.
Malaysia Airlines chief operating officer Aida Salfaraz Ahmad Fadzil said in a press release: "Our adoption of IATA's Turbulence Aware programme is another step in strengthening our operational capabilities, enhancing passenger comfort and ensuring every journey is delivered with the highest standards of safety and care."
