When are doors armed for departure?

When are doors armed for departure?

• A. When boarding begins
• B. After doors have been closed and steps / jetway removed
• C. Upon arrival
• D. Before takeoff

Answer: (B)

Arming the doors is done to prepare the escape slides for immediate deployment in an evacuation, but only when the door is secured and there are no obstructions around the door. This keeps slides from inflating accidentally during boarding or while equipment is attached, while ensuring they will deploy automatically if a door is opened in an emergency. Therefore, the best time to arm is after the doors have been closed and the steps or jetway have been removed, so the aircraft is truly ready for departure. Boarding begins before closure, arrival is unrelated to departure procedures, and arming is not just “before takeoff” in itself—the key requirement is that the doors are closed and ground equipment is out of the way.

Arming the doors is done to prepare the escape slides for immediate deployment in an evacuation, but only when the door is secured and there are no obstructions around the door. This keeps slides from inflating accidentally during boarding or while equipment is attached, while ensuring they will deploy automatically if a door is opened in an emergency. Therefore, the best time to arm is after the doors have been closed and the steps or jetway have been removed, so the aircraft is truly ready for departure. Boarding begins before closure, arrival is unrelated to departure procedures, and arming is not just “before takeoff” in itself—the key requirement is that the doors are closed and ground equipment is out of the way.