Managing hundreds of passengers on a plane is no easy task, but it’s the flight attendant’s job to make it look that way. They have to know absolutely everything about safety aboard the aircraft, and just as much about the passengers. What looks like an exit sign to everyone else is actually what’s known to the flight attendants as the “Area Call Panel” (ACP). If you pay attention on your next flight, you’ll notice lights on the panel that let flight attendants know that their attention is needed throughout the aircraft. If a blue light appears on the ACP, it means a passenger has pressed the call button at their seat. An orange light lets flight attendants know that something is happening in the restroom. A steady orange light means someone in the restroom has pressed the call button, while a flashing orange light means the smoke detector has been activated. A light outside the restroom in question will also light up to let flight attendants know where to go. Finally, a pink light is how flight attendants signal to each other that there’s a phone call to answer. A steady pink light means that it's a one-way call, but a flashing pink light means that it's a group call and every flight attendant station should join in. Sometimes a red light on the ACP may signal a call from the flight deck. Although these light codes are fairly universal, there can be slight changes and modifications to the lights, based on aircraft manufacturer.
