Ask the Captain: How safe are commercial airports with short runways?

Question: On every flight I take, I hear an announcement to raise my seat back and close my tray table (typically before landing). But I don't believe I ever heard an announcement that I may recline my seat and open my tray table. Why isn't that announced? When is it OK to recline my seat and open my tray table?               – Yehoshua, Brooklyn, New York

Answer: For takeoff, once the airplane is airborne, you may open your tray table and recline your seat.

For landing, tray tables must be stowed and seats in the upright position for the landing and taxi phases. This is normally done when the airplane is descending through 10,000 feet.

There are requirements for the tray table to be stowed and the seat to be in the upright position, so there are announcements. There is no requirement to recline or open the tray table; hence, no announcements.

A:   Commercial airports certified under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 139 (the Federal Aviation Administration's rules governing facility approval) are very safe.

Runway length is carefully calculated before every takeoff and landing with good safety margins. Pilots know that the runway length is short so they pay special attention to touchdown points and approach speeds.

John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.