10 Reasons Why You Don’t Have a Parachute on Board in case of an emergency

Have you ever wondered why airline passengers don’t get parachutes in case of an emergency? Today, I’ll show you 10 reasons why having parachutes on a commercial airplane is actually a terrible idea.

REASON 1: SPEED

A typical skydiving plane cruises at around 250 km/h, slowing down further during jumps. On the other hand, a Boeing 737 cruises at over 900 km/h—nearly four times faster. Ever stuck your head out of a car window at 100 km/h as a kid? Imagine trying that on an airplane at cruising speed. At those speeds, stepping outside would feel like hitting a wall of air—it’s enough to rip your head off without you even realizing it.

REASON 2: ALTITUDE

Skydiving planes fly at around 4,000 meters, an ideal altitude for jumping. Commercial airliners, however, cruise at altitudes of 10,000-12,000 meters. At this height, the air is extremely thin, with about 65% less oxygen than at sea level. What’s likely to happen is hypoxia—your vision blurs, your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen, and you pass out. So, if you’re unconscious, who’s going to open your parachute?

REASON 3: TRAINING

Using a parachute isn’t as simple as it seems. It requires hours of training to use properly and land safely. A beginner skydiver needs at least 5-6 hours of theory, followed by practical jumps—at least 7 of them! Now imagine repeating this for every passenger on a Boeing 737, which can carry almost 200 people. You’d have to arrive at the airport a day early, attend a full training session, take notes, and pass an exam—all this just to go on vacation!

REASON 4: “OPEN DOORS”

Skydiving planes have doors designed to open mid-flight at low speed and altitude. Opening a door on a commercial airliner, however, would be nearly impossible due to the extreme pressure difference. It could also cause explosive decompression—air would rush out violently, potentially blowing apart parts of the plane. Oh, and by the way, if you’re near the engines when you jump, you might get sucked in. If you’re at the rear exit, enjoy the 700°C blast from the engine exhaust.

REASON 5: PANIC

Imagine managing panic among hundreds of passengers. Most of us don’t even pay attention to safety instructions before takeoff. In an emergency, keeping everyone calm is a massive challenge. Adding parachutes to the mix would only make things worse. Remember the movie Sully and the Hudson River landing? Out of 150 passengers, only 33 put on life vests, and only 4 wore them correctly—that’s less than 3%!

REASON 6: GEAR

A parachute alone isn’t enough. To avoid becoming a pancake on the ground, you’d also need goggles or a helmet, and—most importantly—an altimeter to know when to deploy the parachute. Oh, and if the primary chute malfunctions? You’ll need to deploy the reserve. Also, can you steer the chute? Know how to avoid landing in water, a sunflower field, or a factory roof? Spoiler: none of those are good options.

REASON 7: WHEN DO I JUMP?

What’s the best time to jump? Ideally, when the plane is cruising. But most airplane accidents happen during takeoff or landing, where the altitude is too low to deploy a parachute in time.

REASON 8: COLLISION

I once hit my head while skydiving at 150 km/h. Now imagine what happens at 900 km/h. There’s a 99% chance you’d hit the plane’s fuselage or tail. If you’re lucky, you might get sucked into the engines or burned by the exhaust. Their power can down small aircraft—imagine what they’d do to a human.

REASON 9: TEMPERATURE

At 10,000 meters, temperatures can drop to -50°C. Without proper thermal protection, you’d freeze in seconds. Thermal suits might help, but now you’re carrying not just a parachute, but also full winter gear.

REASON 10: PRICE

Adding parachutes means:

• Increasing weight by 10-15 kg per passenger, multiplied by 200 people.

• Fewer seats available due to extra weight.

• Higher ticket prices to cover costs.

Guess who’s paying €30,000 for a New York-LA flight?

CONCLUSION

Next time you’re on a plane and think, “If it crashes, can I just jump with a parachute?” remember these points. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy the in-flight entertainment—it’s the safest thing you can do!

If you wanna see more about this topic check out the video on my YouTube channel here: