The last thing a nervous traveler wants to see in an airplane window is a small hole, and this disturbing window feature has left many, including regular travelers, baffled.
But now Henny Lim, a flight attendant for Philippine-based airline Cebu Pacific, who shares details of lesser-known planes on TikTok, has finally put people’s minds at ease.
In a video now viral on the social media platform, she revealed that the small hole is actually called a “bleeding hole.”
He explained that the cabin windows are made of three layers: outer, middle and inner. They are typically made of glass and acrylic to keep them sturdy and well insulated.
Henny revealed: “The small hole helps balance the pressure difference between the cabin and the outside air.”
Henny Lim, a flight attendant for Philippine-based airline Cebu Pacific, is known for sharing details of lesser-known planes.
The circular outlet known as the “bleed hole” is “crucial for regulating cabin pressure to keep the window strong and prevent fogging.”
Henny revealed: “The small hole helps balance the pressure difference between the cabin and the outside air.”
Air at sea level is said to weigh about 14.7 pounds per square inch (PSI). By comparison, a typical flight cruises between 30,000 and 40,000 feet; at this altitude the pressure is approximately 4.3 PSI.
During flight, the outside of airplane windows can get cold at high altitude and cabin humidity can fog the windows, according to Tyla.
But sadly, you won’t be able to doodle in the fog on airplane windows anytime soon, as the small hole helps prevent condensation and keep it clear.
Henny concluded: “It also serves another purpose: to release moisture and prevent frost or condensation from blocking the view.”
This is not the first time the Cebu Pacific flight attendant has shared a top secret on TikTok.
Henny has also revealed why some airlines exclude row 13 from the cabin.
“In many cultures, the number 13 is associated with bad luck,” he said. “That is why most airlines prefer to avoid inflaming the superstitions of their customers and have chosen to eliminate the number of seats.”
In the clip, Henny shows how the row numbers jump from 12 to 14 on both sides of the plane.
In a now-viral TikTok video, Henny revealed: “The small hole helps balance the pressure difference between the cabin and the outside air.”
Henny said this is a practice many global airlines follow to “recognize the unfortunate superstitions surrounding the number.”
The irrational fear of the number thirteen is known as triskaidekaphobia.
In another video, Henny shared the real reason behind the small black triangles often seen on flat walls.
He said the stickers above the middle windows offer the best view of the wings for passengers, but also let flight attendants know the “best vantage points for the outer slats and flaps.”
The short clip has since racked up more than 304,000 views, with many admitting they had never noticed the small sticker before.
“Passengers sitting next to the triangles get the best view of the wings,” Henny wrote in the video while recording the interior of an empty plane.